Clear sky, sunny day mark R-day celebrations in capital

Clear skies and a slight nip in the air greeted thousands of spectators who had gathered to witness the Republic Day parade at the majestic Rajpath in New Delhi on Thursday as the minimum temperatures remained above normal.  

The low was recorded at 9.3 degrees Celsius, a degree above normal and up by 0.3 degrees from Wednesday's 9 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 21.1 degree Celsius, which is one degree below normal range for this time of the year.

Though there was a nip in the air in the early hours, as the day progressed spectators at Rajpath were spotted taking off their jackets as the thin veil of fog gave way to the sun.

The clear sky also helped people enjoy the flypast during the parade as the Indian Air Force helicopters and fighter jets showcasing India's military might bowled over spectators as they soared past.

In 2010, a thick blanket of fog had played spoilsport during the parade as visibility was limited, leaving many spectators disappointed.

In the past 11 years, except for 2010, the month of January has recorded the lowest minimum temperature on January eight of 2006 when the mercury had dipped to 0.2 degree Celsius.

The record lowest minimum for the month was on 16^th January, 1935, when the mercury touched minus 0.6 degrees Celsius while the highest maximum was 32.5 degrees on 28^th January, 2004.

The weatherman has predicted mist in the morning tomorrow with temperature oscillating between nine and 22 degrees Celsius.