The national capital is likely to record the coldest day on Monday for the month of December in the last 119 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The day temperature has been unusually following the coldest trend with Safdarjung recording a temperature of 9.4 degree Celsius at 2.30 pm.

Delhi has been gripped in a numbing cold for the past several weeks and the mean temperatures are lower here because of fog and no sunshine. From December 31 on wards, rain is likely in the capital city and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. This weather phenomenon is likely to continue till January 3, predicted the weather for ecast agency. A significant increase in wind speed is expected over Delhi-NCR fromthe evening of December 31 under the influence of approaching western disturbance and easterly winds in the lower level. A hailstorm is also expected on January 1-2, 2020.

Earlier, the IMD had said that the national capital is likely to witness the second coldest December of this century as the mean maximum temperature (MMT) till December 26 was recorded at 19.85 degrees. It had said that if the mean maximum temperature dips to 19.15 degrees by December 31 the nit will be the second coldest December since 1901. Prior to this, the meanmaximum temperature was recorded at 17.3 degrees in 1997. The mean maximumtemperature recorded for December month from 1901 to 2018 has dipped only fouryears, 1919, 1929, 1961 and 1997, to below 20 degrees. In 1919 and 1929 themean maximum temperature was recorded at 19.8 degrees, and in 1961 it was 20degrees.

The national capital continued to shiver due to cold waveconditions on December 29, with the minimum temperature recorded at 2 degreesCelsius. On Saturday, the IMD issued a `red` warning for the national capitalas cold wave conditions continued unabated in the region. The red colourdenotes extreme weather conditions.

Dense fog and eventual poor visibility have caused flightdelays and cancellations across north India in the past few days. A thickblanket of fog resulting in poor visibility has affected the operation of over500 flights, Delhi airport website said on Monday. While five flights have beencancelled, 21 others have been diverted due to low-visibility in the nationalcapital, said an ANI report.

Private airlines IndiGo and Vistara on Monday issued atravel advisory for their passengers saying flights to and from the nationalcapital have been impacted due to bad weather and poor visibility. In a tweet,IndiGo said: "#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to poor visibility in #Delhi, ourflights are impacted. Do keep a track of your flight status." Vistara alsosaid that its flights to and from the national capital have been delayedaffecting its other flights too. "Due to dense fog and poor visibility inDelhi, arrivals/departures from Delhi are delayed with consequential impactacross the network," it said.

Earlier on Monday, budget airline SpiceJet also asked itspassengers, scheduled to travel to and from Delhi, to keep a track of theirflight status. "Due to bad weather at Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivalsand their consequential flights might get affected. Passengers are requested tokeep a check on their flight status," the airline tweeted. Delhi's IGIairport authorities had earlier warned that flight departures may be impactedif visibility dropped below 125 meters.

The Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday said that Delhi is witnessing more chillthan hilly areas and OPD rush had increased by 20 per cent with peoplesuffering from different respiratory ailments. "Because of the coldweather, there is a rise of 15-20 per cent in the number of patients in OPD.Bronchitis cases go up. Heart patients also face risks. If the healthy peopledo not take care of themselves, they may face a condition called hypothermiawhich results in abnormally low body temperatures," Dr Guleria told ANI.