Icy winds from Himalaya grips Delhi, temperature to go down: IMD

Cold wave from the Himalayas has gripped strips of North India including Delhi and will continue to prevail till Friday, reported India Meteorological Department (IMD). The minimum temperature dropped to 3.5 degree Celsius in the Capital on Thursday.

A cold wave in Delhi has been declared as icy winds from the snow-covered Himalayas reached swathes of North. The severe cold conditions are expected to trouble Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana in the next 24 hours. 

"Cold wave conditions in some pockets with severe cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over West Rajasthan...cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over south Haryana, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh. Today, Lowest Minimum Temperature of 0.5 degrees was recorded over Sikar (East Rajasthan)," the IMD tweeted.

"The Western Himalayas recorded widespread snowfall due to strong western disturbances and now frosty winds have been blowing towards the plains, bringing the mercury down," Kuldeep Srivastava, chief of the IMD's regional forecasting centre said, adding that both "cold wave" and "cold day" conditions are likely in Delhi today and tomorrow.

The capital recorded its coldest day on Tuesday when the temperature dropped to four degree Celsius.

The IMD criterion of declaring cold waves is when the temperature falls below 10 degree Celsius or below for two days straight. "For small areas such as Delhi, a cold wave can be declared if the criteria are fulfilled even for a day," Mr Srivastava told news agency Press Trust of India.