Gurgaon: At 4.8 degrees Celsius, the city witnessed its coldest morning of the season on Thursday and fell 2.5 degrees below the season's normal. The minimum temperature on Wednesday was 6.2 degrees Celsius. The nighttime temperature dipped below the 5-degree mark for the first time this winter.
Experts attributed the sharp decline to clear skies and the persistent flow of cold, dry winds from the snow-clad Himalayas. Despite the dip, the conditions did not meet the India Meteorological Department's criteria for declaring a cold wave, which requires the minimum temperature to be at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal or drop to four degrees Celsius or lower.
The chill, however, is far from temporary. Weather forecasts suggest low temperatures will persist over the next three days. The IMD issued a yellow alert for Gurgaon and other parts of Haryana, predicting cold wave conditions in the coming days.
The maximum temperature, recorded at 20.6 degrees Celsius, declined marginally down from 20.9 degrees on the previous day. While sunlight provided warmth during the day, brisk winds kept the daytime temperature below the season's normal by 2.4 degrees Celsius.
"The prevailing cold and dry winds are causing a drop in temperature. Cold to severe cold wave conditions were observed at a few places in Haryana, including Chandigarh, Hisar, and Karnal, while isolated pockets also observed cold day conditions. There won't be a sharp fall in temperature but a gradual decline with a possibility of cold wave conditions, including Gurgaon, during the next three days," an IMD official said.
In the state, the lowest minimum temperature was recorded at 1.6 degrees Celsius at Hisar.
According to the Met department, Friday will be sunny during the day, but smog or mist may prevail in the morning or evening, with possible cold wave conditions. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to hover around 5 and 21 degrees Celsius, respectively.