The Delhi base observatory, Safdarjung, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius, three points below normal, while the Ridge station recorded the lowest minimum at 3.5 degrees Celsius, followed by 3.8 in Ayanagar. At Palam, the maximum temperature dropped to 13.2 degrees Celsius and 13.7 at Jafarpur. The lowest previous high this season was 18.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Kuldeep Srivastava, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and head of the Regional Center for Weather Forecasting, said: “Parts of Delhi saw cold wave conditions and severe cold day conditions were recorded in most places.” No respite is expected in the next 48 hours, with the peak likely to rise around Sunday, he said. The forecast for Friday shows that the maximum could be around 16 degrees Celsius, while the minimum could be around 4.
IMD declares a cold day when the maximum temperature is four or more degrees below normal while the minimum temperature is below 10 degrees. On a “severe cold day,” the maximum temperature is six degrees or more below normal. Meanwhile, a cold snap occurs when the minimum temperature is four or more degrees below normal.
A low high is more shocking during the day, while a low low reflects a cold night, Srivastava said. Both conditions prevail in Delhi-NCR.
A combination of factors keeps the maximum and minimum temperatures several degrees below normal, he said. “We are receiving cold winds from the mountains where snow has fallen. These icy winds are reaching the capital at good speed. While its impact is generally reduced by Punjab and Haryana, upper fog prevails there, keeping these winds equally cold ”even in Delhi, Srivastava said.
Sunlight also does not fall vertically between December and February, slowing down the warming process, Srivastava added.
Delhi recorded an equally cold December last year, with the maximum falling to 12.2 degrees Celsius on December 17 and 12.9 on December 18. On December 31, the maximum was 9.4 degrees. Strong winds kept Delhi’s air in the “poor” category on Thursday, with an air quality index of 256, says the CPCB.
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