New Delhi, Dec. 21 -- Delhi experienced its first cold wave of the season on Saturday, recording its coldest December day this year as the maximum temperature plunged to 16.9 degrees Celsius, 5.3 notches below normal.

The sun remained largely obscured by thick clouds and a persistent grey haze throughout the day.

For the first time this winter, Delhi met the 'cold wave day' criteria, with two of its five monitoring stations -- "Safdarjung and Palam -- "recording cold wave conditions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

While the Safdarjung station recorded a maximum temperature of 16.9 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees below the season's normal, Palam, another key monitoring station, recorded a high of 16.3 degrees Celsi...