Monday, January 9 2006 17:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The national capital continued to reel under intense cold conditions today with the minimum temperature remaining below two degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day today (Jan 9,2006).

However, there was some respite for Delhiites as there was no fog, allowing air and road traffic to operate smoothly despite a thin layer of mist engulfing the city in the early hours.

The minimum temperature today was recorded at 1.4 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal during this time of the season and making it the third coldest day in the last 70 years, Meteorological Department said here.

A minimum temperature of minus 0.6 degrees was recorded on January 10, 1935.

The maximum temperature was registered at 18.1 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, they said.

Icy cold winds continued to lash the city from northern plains, which is in the grip of a severe cold wave, even as weathermen forecast a rise in night temperature in the city in the coming days.

All International and domestic flights operated on schedule as Runway Visibility Range (RVR) at the airport was around 1,500 metres in the early hours and improved to nearly 2,500 metres as the sun came out.

However, cold wave conditions and fog in the northern plains continued to hamper railway operations as several trains reaching here were running behind schedule, Northern Railway said.

The trains running late included the Chennai-New Delhi G T Express, Puri-Hazrat Nizamuddin Kalinga Express, Malta Town-Delhi Farukka Express, Darbanga-Delhi Saryuyamuna Express, it said. No trains were cancelled today.