Delhi sees season’s coldest day at 3.4°C, next week may be colder

On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official marker for Delhi, was 3.4 degrees Celsius, five notches below the season’s normal, making it the lowest recording this season so far. The maximum temperature of the day was 22.4 degrees Celsius.

The National Capital on Sunday recorded the coldest morning of the season, with the minimum temperature falling to 3.4 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast said that the temperature might rise marginally on Monday before it dipping again.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature at Safdarjung had been recorded at 3.9 degrees Celsius. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official marker for Delhi, was 3.4 degrees Celsius, five notches below the season’s normal, making it the lowest recording this season so far. The maximum temperature of the day was 22.4 degrees Celsius.

Scientists said that because of a fairly good wind speed, which cleared the fog and kept the sky clear, the day time temperature rose. The Palam observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, while at the Lodi Road observatory, the temperature fell to 3.3 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature at Safdarjung had been recorded at 3.9 degrees Celsius.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said that the cold winds from Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh were coming into the national capital, which had been keeping the temperature low.

“From today (Sunday) evening, a western disturbance will impact the hills and its affect on Delhi will increase the minimum temperature of the city by one or two degrees on Monday,” Srivastava said.

This relief, however, will be temporary, he said.

“From Tuesday again, the minimum temperature will start to dip. It is also possible that it falls to around 3 degrees Celsius,” he added.

Dense fog cover in the early hours of Sunday also led to a deterioration of air quality, which slipped from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data shows that the overall air quality index (AQI) on Sunday was 321, categorised as ‘very poor’. On Saturday the AQI was 290 in the ‘poor’ zone.

The IMD has forecast that because of the western disturbance, even though there will be no rainfall in Delhi or surrounding areas, it will lead to a spike in the moisture levels. This might in turn lead to an increase in pollution levels this week.

Union ministry of earth science’ air quality monitoring centre, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), said the cold day conditions could intensify in the Delhi region and surface winds are likely to slow down.

“The current better dispersion conditions are likely to decrease. Hence, AQI is forecasted to deteriorate to middle end of very poor category on December 21, and further deteriorate to the higher end of very poor on December 22, before falling further on December 23,” the Safar analysis said.