Frigid conditions to persist in Delhi; winter rain likely on New Year's Day
New Delhi (PTI): A biting cold swept through the capital on Wednesday, with similar conditions likely to prevail on New Year's Day, while a spell of rain, which could be the season's first, is expected later in the night or on January 1.
The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 6.4 degrees Celsius, about 0.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said foggy and cold conditions prevailed in the city during morning hours, followed by cold day conditions through the day, which are expected to persist into the night.
"A cold day is declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature remains about 4.5 degrees below normal," an IMD official said.
A generally cloudy sky with light rain is forecast for January 1, with cold day conditions expected to continue.
"There is a slight chance of very light and isolated rain over Delhi and the NCR between tonight and New Year's Day due to an induced cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana. If it occurs, this could be the season's first spell of rain," Mahesh Palawat of Skymet told PTI.
From January 3, coldwave conditions may develop as the minimum temperature could drop below 5 degrees Celsius, with cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region expected to move towards the capital, he added.
Meanwhile, visibility dropped sharply in several parts of the city due to dense fog on Wednesday.
According to the weather department, Safdarjung reported the lowest visibility of 50 metres between 6.30 am and 7.30 am, which later improved to 100 metres by 8 am. Palam recorded visibility as low as 50 metres between 4 am and 7.30 am, improving to 150 metres by 8 am.
IMD scientist Dr Naresh Kumar said dense to very dense fog has been prevailing over north India for nearly two weeks. "Dense fog may occur at isolated places in Delhi tomorrow morning," he said.
Explaining the weather pattern, Kumar said an active western disturbance is currently positioned over north Pakistan. "Due to its influence, light to moderate rainfall and snowfall will continue over the western Himalayan region for the next two to three days. Very light rainfall activity is also possible over the NCR region," he said.
He explained that fog forms when temperatures are low, winds are light and moisture levels are high. "When these conditions persist, fog stays longer during the day, blocks sunlight and helps cold day conditions continue," he said.
The IMD said dense to very dense fog is likely to persist in Delhi for the next five days.
For the New Year's Day, the IMD forecast generally cloudy skies with a possibility of very light to light rain at isolated places. Shallow to moderate fog is expected during the morning hours, with maximum temperatures likely to remain between 14 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures between 9 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
