As Delhi continues to reel under a severe cold wave on Sunday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 3.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above Saturday’s minimum temperature, a code red warning has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for today for the cold wave conditions in Delhi as well as Haryana and Chandigarh.

According to IMD’s classification Code red is the highest level and a warning for the public to take action in adverse weather.

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The IMD bulletin on Saturday night predicted that on Sunday cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in many pockets over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, in some pockets over Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh and cold wave conditions in some pockets over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and in isolated pockets over Bihar, north Gujarat and Odisha.

The IMD said in a bulletin that as per the prevailing meteorological conditions, cold day to severe cold day conditions in many pockets are very likely till Sunday over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh with some improvements on Sunday with cold day to severe cold day conditions at some pockets in these areas.

The weatherman has predicted clear sky in afternoon even as the cold wave is expected to continue.

“The day will be severely cold due to cold wave at most places in the city,” the official added.

With chilling cold continuing to sweep Delhi-NCR, the region is expected to record its second-coldest December since 1901, the weather department had said on Thursday.

Cold day conditions are likely to prevail at isolated pockets over these regions on Monday and abate thereafter. Dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets in morning hours very likely till Sunday morning over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh and abate thereafter.

As per IMD, the minimum temperature on Sunday will be 3 degrees Celsius and the maximum will be 13 degrees Celsius. On Monday the minimum temperature will be 3 degrees Celsius and the maximum will be 14 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the respective minimum and maximum temperatures were 3 degrees and 11 degrees. The maximum temperatures will start inching up from Sunday.

While Saturday has been classified as a cold day by IMD, Sunday and Monday will be cold wave days. Delhi had recorded season’s coldest day on Saturday with minimum temperature dropping to 2.4 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog enveloped the city reducing visibility to less than 500 metres.

“The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.30 am at Safdarjang Observatory at 3.4 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal,” a MeT official said.

While the Palam Observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius, the mercury dropped to 2.8 degrees in the Lodhi Road area.
The humidity level was recorded at 94 per cent.