Mercury fell to its third lowest in 50 years in December

NEW DELHI:  After a relatively ‘hot’ winter in 2017, as per statistics furnished by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), December 2018 saw cold make a rousing comeback to the city as the mercury fell to its third lowest temperature in the last 50 years.An average minimum temperature of 6.7°C was recorded this month, which was the third lowest in the last half-a-decade. In 2005 and 1996, the national capital recorded average minimum temperatures of 6°C and 5.9°C respectively.

The daily minimum temperature was below normal on 26 days this month, the IMD data revealed. The monthly mean temperature was below normal by 1.6°C. The lowest minimum temperature recorded was 2.6°C on December 29. It was the fourth lowest in the city in last 50 years after 2013, 1996 and 1973.
The lowest minimum temperature ever recorded in Delhi is 0°C on December 27, 1930.

Private forecaster Skymet said, “Generally during the winter season, Delhi’s weather is governed by the western disturbances over the hills of North India. However as this year, most western disturbances moving across the higher latitudes of Jammu and Kashmir are feeble in nature and the wind pattern over the city is not changing.”

“Therefore, continuous northwesterly winds are prevailing over the entire Delhi-NCR region. These winds are mainly cold and dry in nature. In the next few days, too, no significant change is expected in the wind pattern. So, weather conditions over Delhi-NCR are expected to remain the same,” the Skymet said.

Regarding dense fog and visibility issues in the city this month, IMD scientists said that there were 14 nights when the minimum temperature was recorded below 6°C and eight nights when the minimum temperature was less than or equal to 4°C. This meets the threshold of cold wave and ground frost conditions, they said.

The Fog coverage data at Indira Gandhi International Airport (Palam) shows that it was the clearest month in last 22 years in terms of visibility (more than 1000 m). Fog hours (shallow to very dense) during the month were only 145 against the normal of 300 hours. Dense fog was also subdued this month with just two nights of nine hours, against the normal of nine nights and 45 hours.