Max temp in Delhi 2 notches below normal

After a thick blanket of fog covered the national capital Saturday morning, the maximum temperature settled two notches below the normal at 17.7 degrees Celsius, officials said. The weather department said the minimum temperature was 8.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal, and visibility was reduced to 50 meters in the Palam area during the morning hours due to dense fog.

A railway spokesperson said around 20 north-bound trains were delayed by two-five hours. Chief of India Meteorological Department regional forecasting center Kuldeep Srivastava said Delhi may receive light rain on January 21 due to a fresh western disturbance but temperatures are not expected to dip drastically in the next eight to 10 days.

"There's almost nil chance of a cold day or cold wave conditions returning to Delhi in the remaining winter season," he said. The air quality index in Delhi Saturday evening was 250. The AQI in Faridabad was 258; Ghaziabad 252; Greater Noida 264; Gurgaon 155; and Noida 299.

The humidity level oscillated between 100 percent and 65 percent. The Met department forecast mainly clear sky for Sunday with dense fog in the morning. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 17 and 7 degrees Celsius respectively.