Delhi continues to shiver, temperature may rise in coming days

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature is likely to hover between 7°C and 9°C on Saturday, and between 8°C and 10°C on Sunday and Monday. The wind speed is also expected to pick up on Saturday, hovering around 15-20 kmph.

New Delhi: The city witnessed yet another chilly night on Friday, with the minimum temperature hovering around 5.6°C, even as the air quality deteriorated further in the “very poor” category.

The minimum temperature on Friday was four degrees below normal for this time of the year (HT photo)

The minimum temperature on Friday, which was four degrees below normal for this time of the year, was also the lowest so far this season, same as Thursday. Experts forecast a rise in the minimum temperature over the weekend, with a western disturbance set to impact the region, leading to partially cloudy skies.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature is likely to hover between 7°C and 9°C on Saturday, and between 8°C and 10°C on Sunday and Monday. The wind speed is also expected to pick up on Saturday, hovering around 15-20 kmph.

Strong winds help disperse pollutants trapped near the earth’s surface, potentially leading to a lower air quality index (AQI), which stood at a “very poor” 327 at 4pm on Friday, against 304 (“very poor”) at the same time on Thursday.

IMD had earlier forecast isolated coldwave conditions in parts of northwest India till December 5, owing to cold northwesterly winds blowing from the hilly areas.

However, Friday was not considered a coldwave day as it did not meet the “criteria” set by the Met department. According to IMD, a coldwave is declared when the minimum temperature drops below 10°C, and is also 4.5°C or more below the normal temperature, with at least two weather stations meeting this criterion for two consecutive days.

The minimum temperature on December 1 was 5.7°C, which was the coldest start to December since at least 2011. Typically in December, Delhi’s minimum dips below 5°C during the second half of the month. The lowest minimum temperature in December 2024 was 4.5°C, on December 12 and 16. In 2023, it was 4.9°C on December 15, while the coldest December in 2022 was 5°C on December 26.