Delhi records a minimum of 9°C, lowest in March since 2019

Forecasts by IMD showed that while the conditions are unlikely to get colder, the minimum should still hover around 10-11°C till Saturday

People in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) woke up to another nippy morning on Tuesday, with the minimum plummeting to as low as under 7°C in some parts of the Capital as cold, dry winds swept the region, which also kept the day sunny and pleasant.

The IMD said that no western disturbance is likely in the next seven days, and mainly clear skies will prevail. (Raj K Raj/HT photo)

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung station, which represents the official reading for Delhi, was at 9°C, four notches below normal for this time of the year and the lowest for a March day since 2019. The daytime peak too was lower than usual (four notches below normal) at 23.4°C, the lowest since March 2020.

Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department showed that while the conditions are unlikely to get colder, the minimum should still hover around 10-11°C till Saturday.

“The latest western disturbance on February 2 and 3 led to widespread rain and hail across northwest India. Snowfall was also recorded in the higher reaches and with northwesterly winds blowing again, one can feel the impact of the snow,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD.

He said that no western disturbance is now likely in the next seven days, and mainly clear skies will prevail, which should make days warm again and keep the night temperature below normal.

“The minimum should rise to around 11°C on Wednesday, and it will oscillate between 10°C and 11°C till Saturday after that. Days though will start to become warm again,” he added.

The minimum was down to 6.7°C at northwest Delhi’s Mungeshpur and 7.6°C at southwest Delhi’s Jafarpur.

On Monday, the minimum at Safdarjung was 9.5°C.

Tuesday’s maximum was slightly lower than the 24.9°C on Monday and 26.2°C on Sunday. Elsewhere, the lowest maximum across the city was 19.9°C at Mungeshpur.

Over the next few days, daytime temperatures will rise gradually, with Wednesday predicted to record 25°C, followed by 27°C on Thursday and 28°C on Friday.

The strong winds helped keep air pollutions levels in the “moderate” category. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 126 (moderate) at 4 pm on Tuesday, Central Pollution Control Board’s national bulletin showed. In comparison, the average AQI was 140 (moderate) at the same time on Monday.

Forecasts by the Centre’s Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi showed the air quality is likely to stay moderate in the next few days as well.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘moderate’ category from March 6 to March 8. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows air quality is likely to be in the ‘moderate’ category,” said EWS in its daily bulletin on Tuesday.