New Delhi: The city recorded the season’s lowest minimum temperature of 8.5 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, on Thursday at Safdarjung, Delhi’s base station.
It was 3.5 degrees lower than Wednesday’s minimum temperature.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the minimum temperature was expected to dip to 7 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday. However, it may again see a marginal rise after a western disturbance impacts the western Himalayan region. There is a possibility of very light rain or a drizzle on Dec 8.
Some parts of Delhi saw a lower minimum temperature than Safdarjung. The lowest minimum on Thursday was 7.2 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar, followed by 8 degrees at Lodhi Road. Before Thursday, the lowest minimum temperature this season at Safdarjung was 9.5 degrees Celsius on Nov 29.
RK Jenamani, a senior scientist at IMD, said: “Strong winds have been blowing in the city since Wednesday afternoon. The winds reached up to 20 kmph on Thursday. It was the first time since Diwali when such high wind speed has been recorded. Due to the constituent strong north-westerly winds and clear skies, the minimum temperature dipped on Thursday.”
When there are clear skies, days are warm and nights become cool due to radiational cooling. A clear sky causes heat to quickly dissipate and makes nights cooler than normal.
The city also recorded low humidity on Thursday. “The city also recorded clear visibility late on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The visibility stayed over 3,000 metres at both Safdarjung, which is the city’s base station, and Palam on Thursday morning. In contrast, the visibility was around 1,500-2,000 metres on Nov 29-30, and it was 700-800 metres in the last week of Nov,” Jenamani said.
The maximum temperature also dipped to 25.1 degrees Celsius, which was about normal. It was 28 degrees a day earlier. The last time the city logged rainfall was on Sept 19 — 10.2 mm — because of the monsoon.
“A western disturbance is expected to influence the western Himalayan region from Dec 8. Due to this, there may be a slight rise in temperature,” said a Met official.
Delhi has been recording a warm winter, with temperatures mostly staying above normal. This Oct was the warmest in 73 years, while Nov was the warmest in eight years.
