Delhi might get slightly warmer in the next few days: IMD

The Met department said that with wind speeds reducing, there will be a gradual rise in both maximum and minimum temperature in the coming days till December 31. A fresh western disturbance between December 29 and 31 is also likely to further increase temperatures, it said

Delhi remained severely cold on Tuesday with the city reporting lower minimum temperature than Dehradun, Dharamshala and Nainital.

IMD’s seven-day forecast shows Delhi’s maximum will rise to around 18 degrees on Wednesday, to around 19 degrees on Thursday and touch close to 20 degrees by Friday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), both the maximum and minimum temperatures rose slightly compared to Monday, but they stayed below normal. The Safdarjung station, representational of Delhi, recorded a maximum of 17.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday – three degrees below normal for this time of the year and 1.6 degrees higher than Monday’s season’s lowest of 15.6 degrees. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 5.6 degrees – 1 degree below normal for this time of the year, but 0.6 degrees higher than Monday’s season low of 5 degrees.

In comparison, the minimum temperature in Dehradun was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius, Dharamsala at 6.2 degrees Celsius and Nainital at 7.2 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists have attributed low temperatures to cold northwesterlies blowing through the plains, foggy weather and the high windchill factor -- a measure of the rate of heat loss from skin that is exposed to the air.

According to IMD data, isolated parts of Delhi still recorded cold day conditions, with the lowest maximum of 15.5 degrees Celsius recorded at Palam. The department said that with wind speeds reducing, there will be a gradual rise in both maximum and minimum temperature in the coming days till December 31. A fresh western disturbance between December 29 and 31 is also likely to further increase temperatures, it said. The impact of this western disturbance is only expected from January 2 onwards.

The IMD classifies it as a ‘cold’ day when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees or more below normal, while the minimum is below 10 degrees Celsius. It is classified as a ‘severe’ cold day when the maximum is 6.5 degrees or more below normal. On Tuesday, both Palam (15.5) and Jafarpur (15.6) stations met this criteria, with the maximum being 5 degrees below normal for this time of the year.

In comparison, Delhi’s coldest location on Monday was Jafarpur, where the maximum was just 11 degrees Celsius. This was followed by a high of 11.4 degrees at northwest Delhi’s Mungeshpur.

The lowest minimum on Tuesday was recorded in Ayanagar at 4 degrees Celsius, showed IMD data. 

“The impact of the coldwave and cold day conditions are subsiding across Delhi now as a fresh western disturbance is approaching. Wind speeds are reducing and when a western disturbance is influencing an area, there is a rise in both maximum and minimum temperature as the wind direction changes from northwesterly,” said a Met official.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet meteorology, said the western disturbance will mainly influence northern India between December 29 and 31, making for a warmer New Year as compared to the last couple of days. “The impact of this western disturbance will only be seen from around January 2 onwards. Fresh snowfall will take place in the mountains through this western disturbance and once northwesterly winds start to blow again, this cold from the mountains will be transferred to the plains once more,” he said.

IMD’s seven day-forecast shows Delhi’s maximum will rise to around 18 degrees on Wednesday, to around 19 degrees on Thursday and touch close to 20 degrees by Friday. The minimum temperature too is forecast to rise, touching around 7 degrees by Wednesday and 8 degrees by Thursday before hovering around 6 to 7 degrees in the last two days of the year.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained in the ‘very poor’ category with a value of 339, according to Central Pollution Control Board’s daily 4pm bulletin. It was 331 (very poor) on Monday.

Forecasts by the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, used by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi, shows Delhi is unlikely to record ‘severe’ air until the end of the year now.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to improve in the next 24 hours and will reach the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday and Thursday. The air quality is likely to reach the ‘very poo’ category once again on Thursday. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows the air quality is likely to remain largely between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’,” EWS said on Tuesday.