Delhi logs 12.7°C minimum temperature in first foray below 15°C

The IMD attributed the dip to a combination of clear skies and cold northwesterly winds blowing from snow-clad mountains to the plains, with a further dip of 1-2°C likely till Sunday

New Delhi

The maximum temperature also dipped on Thursday, settling at 27.4°C. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

Delhi recorded its first winter chill of the season on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, as the minimum temperature dipped below the 15-degree-Celsius (°C) mark, settling at 12.7°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This was three degrees below normal for this time of the year, and a sharp dip of nearly six degrees from the minimum recorded a day earlier.

The IMD attributed the dip to a combination of clear skies and cold northwesterly winds blowing from snow-clad mountains to the plains, with a further dip of 1-2°C likely till Sunday. It also forecasted that the temperature may dip below the 10°C threshold on Monday.

“The dip happens usually after fresh snowfall and when northwesterly winds blow. Clear skies also add to the effect as the surface heating that occurs during the day is lost into the atmosphere at night-time,” an IMD official said, stating that a gradual dip in night-time temperature will continue into the weekend.

While the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at the Safdarjung observatory are considered representative of Delhi temperature, other stations were even cooler. The lowest minimum across the city was 11.4°C, recorded at southwest Delhi’s Ayanagar. This was followed by 12°C at Lodhi Road, and 12.5°C at Palam.

Past IMD data shows that typically, the minimum dips below 15°C in late October at Safdarjung, making this a slightly delayed fall in night-time temperature this year. Although it happened even later last year, on November 19 (12.3°C), the phenomenon was recorded on October 28 in 2023 (14.3°C) and on October 23 in 2022 (14.5°C). In 2021, it dipped below 15°C on October 27 (14.6°C) and in 2020, it happened as early as October 20 (13.7°C).

Prior to Thursday, the lowest minimum temperature so far this season was 15.8°C, recorded on October 26. Long-term data shows the minimum tends to dip below 10°C by the end of November.

Last year, the lowest minimum temperature in November was 9.5°C, logged on November 29. In 2023, it was 9.2°C on November 23. In 2022, it fell as low as 7.3°C on November 29.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, a forecaster, said northwesterly winds will continue to prevail for the next few days, keeping nights cool. Days, in comparison, will remain warm. “We will have clear skies, which will make days warm but nights chilly. We have already seen a sharp dip in temperature and till Sunday, a further dip of 1-2°C is possible,” said Palawat.

Despite a sunny sky, the maximum temperature also recorded a drop. It was 27.4°C, which was three degrees below normal and also three degrees below the maximum of 30.4°C recorded a day earlier. Forecasts show the maximum is likely to hover between 25 and 27°C on Friday and Saturday.