Season’s first: Delhi’s minimum temperature in single digits

Delhi’s temperature fell to 9.2°C, two degrees below normal; rain likely on November 27 due to a western disturbance

The Capital’s minimum mercury plunged below 10°C on Thursday, as the cascading impact of the chill in northern states brought Delhi its first tryst with single-digit temperatures this winter.

Last year, the minimum fell below 10°C for the first time on November 18, with a temperature of 9.6°C. (ANI)

Delhi’s temperature fell to 9.2°C, more than a degree below Wednesday’s 10.6°C and two below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The mercury’s slide is likely to be halted for a few days though, the Met warned, with winds likely to sweep in from the east, switching from their current northwesterly.

Easterly winds are relatively warmer than northwesterly ones and are more moisture-laden.

Further, parts of Delhi may also get some rain on November 27 due to the impact of a western disturbance over the National Capital Region (NCR), it said.

“The drop in minimum temperature is fairly common when northwesterly winds blow across northern India,” said IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava, referring to long-range transport winds that regulate temperatures. These are separate from surface winds, which have a more immediate effect on weather conditions.

READ | Delhi minimum temperature drops to season’s lowest

“The longer northwesterly winds blow, the more the minimum dips, but winds are likely to switch once more and the minimum should hover around 10°C over the next two days, before rising to 11°C on November 26 and 13°C by November 27,” said Srivastava.

The western disturbance on November 26 and 27 will primarily impact Rajasthan, the western Himalayan region and south Haryana, he said.

“It should lead to cloud cover on November 26 in Delhi. The Capital is likely to get light rain on November 27,” he added.

Temperatures will fall once again after the western disturbance passes, Srivastava said.

“Northwesterly winds are expected to return from November 28, so the end of the month could once again see the minimum dip below 10°C.”

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Last year, the minimum fell below 10°C for the first time on November 18, with a temperature of 9.6°C. In 2021, this happened on November 18 (9.6°C); in 2020 on November 17 (9.4°C). In November 2019, it went below the 10-degree mark on December 1, similar to 2018 and 2015, when the minimum temperature fell to single digit on December 2 and 13, respectively.

In the last decade, the earliest this drop occurred was in 2014, on November 14 (9°C ).

Meanwhile, data from previous years show that the mercury can go as low as 6.3°C in the month of November — this happened in 2020 (November 23). Last year, the lowest minimum in November was 7.3°C on the 29th of the month, and in 2021, it was 9.2°C on November 24.

The day-time temperature on Thursday, meanwhile, stood at 26.7°C, around normal for this time of year.

This is expected to remain between 25°C and 26°C over the next three days, before dipping to 22°C on November 27, due to overcast skies and rain, forecast IMD.