Delhi experiences another warm day, Met forecasts dip in temp from today

Cold northwesterly winds blowing at a speed of 12-18 kmph also helped Delhi breathe slightly better, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 218 (poor) -- an improvement from Sunday’s reading of 306 (very poor)

Delhi recorded yet another warm and sunny day on Monday with the maximum temperature settling at 27.1 degrees Celsius (°C), 1.3 notches lower than Sunday’s maximum temperature of 28.4°C but still four notches above normal for this time of the year, data from India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed. According to forecasts, the maximum temperature is expected to dip gradually from Tuesday onwards, touching 25°C by Wednesday and 24°C by Thursday, due to the impact of cold northwesterly winds .

The normal max temp for December 12 to 16 is 23.2°C. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

“The maximum and minimum temperatures rose over the last three days due to a western disturbance that impacted northern India. While the western disturbance was feeble, it prevented cold northwesterly winds from blowing towards Delhi. At the same time, it did not provide enough moisture to Delhi, so there were periods where the Capital saw a clear blue sky during the day, leading to a high maximum temperature for this time of year,” said RK Jenamani, scientist, IMD.

He said with the western disturbance moving away, cold winds are expected to once again influence Delhi, but no significant drop in temperature is expected. “In the next 5-7 days, the maximum and minimum temperatures could gradually drop by 1-3 degrees, but it will not be a sharp dip, as the western disturbance did not bring enough snowfall to the mountains,” Jenamani added.

Sunday’s maximum temperature was Delhi’s highest in nearly a month – since it the Capital recorded a temperature of 29.5°C on November 15. According to the long-period average (LPA) for Delhi, the normal maximum temperature for December 12 to 16 is 23.2°C, and for December 17 to 21 is 22.5°C. Forecasts show that even with the maximum temperature dipping to 24°C by December 15, it will remain above the normal mark.

Delhi’s minimum temperature was meanwhile recorded at 8.4°C, which is around normal for this time of the year. The city’s minimum temperature was recorded at 8.8°C on Sunday. The minimum temperature is forecast to remain around 8°C till Wednesday, before dipping to 7°C on Thursday and 6°C by Friday. So far this winter, the lowest minimum temperature has been 7.3°C, recorded on November 29.

Cold northwesterly winds blowing at a speed of 12-18 kmph also helped Delhi breathe slightly better, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 218 (poor) -- an improvement from Sunday’s reading of 306 (very poor), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, Delhi’s AQI reading is expected to remain below 300 till Thursday.

“Relatively strong winds and better ventilation conditions are likely to prevail and the air quality is likely to improve further but will remain in the ‘poor’ category on December 13 and 14. The air quality is likely to deteriorate marginally after that, but it will still remain in the ‘poor’ category on December 15,” it said.