India, Jan. 10 -- New Delhi

A piercing chill rang through the Capital in the early hours of Friday, as the minimum temperature continued its slide and settled at 4.6 degrees Celsius (degC), the lowest of the season and also the lowest for January in two years, since it recorded 3.5degC on January 16, 2024, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The minimum temperature was 5.8degC the day before, and 8.6degC on the day preceding that.

With the city moving away from traditional forms of heating, such as bonfires, to electrical equipment to curb pollution, the day also saw Delhi record a power demand of 6,087MW, the highest-ever and the first time it crossed the 6,000MW threshold in the winter period (November to March), ...