Delhi sees season’s coldest morning, rain likely on Sunday

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The biting cold weather strengthened its grip on the national capital which saw its coldest morning on Saturday, with the mercury dipping to 3.2 degrees Celsius -- the lowest of the season.

However, Delhi might get some respite as the minimum temperature on Sunday is likely to hover around 7 degrees Celsius, the weather office said, adding that it might also rain.

"On Sunday, sky would remain cloudy and it's likely to rain or drizzle. This is likely to give respite from the cold wave, as the minimum temperature which hovered around 4 degrees since last four days may rise to 7 degrees," an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told IANS.

The maximum temperature is also likely to increase to 20 degrees Celsius on Sunday, as compared to 19.5 on Saturday.

The IMD on Saturday revised its next week's forecast. The minimum temperature, which it said was likely to rise upto 11 degrees on Monday, January 16, is now likely to hover around 8 degrees Celsius.

The national capital on Monday would also see dense fog, IMD forecast stated. The temperature would rise, bringing respite for two days on Sunday and Monday, and start dipping again.

According to the weather analysts, the improvement in temperature from Sunday onwards is based on prospects of rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, from the night of January 14 onwards.

"The rains would drop the speed of west-north westerly winds from Jammu and Kashmir, due to Western disturbances. At the same time, cloud formation would help trapping the heat, increasing both maximum and minimum temperature on Sunday and Monday," Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather agency Skymet, told IANS.

Since January 7, the mercury has been on a downward slide, and has dropped more than 10 degrees in just five days as the cold wave engulfed several regions of north India.