IANS

New Delhi, Jan 1:  It was the coldest new year in five years in the Indian capital with the temperature plummeting to 2.6 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature came down by over two degrees in comparison to Monday.

"The cold wave condition is going to continue for a few more days. The residents may not witness much change in the night temperature," said an IMD official.

New Year dawned with a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius in 2007 while it was 7 degrees in 2006. The minimum temperature was as high as 14 degrees on New Year day in 2005 while it was 8 degrees in 2004.

"The cold wind coming from northwest India, especially the Kashmir Valley, was the main reason behind the climatic condition," the official told.

Delhi had recorded a minimum temperature of 3.9 degrees on Saturday. On Monday, Delhi saw the temperature rise to a minimum of 4.7 degrees and a maximum of 21.5 degrees Celsius.

"We had a tough time while returning from a party late last night. My hands were almost numbing due to extreme cold conditions," said Rohit Srivastva, an executive working in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi.