NEW DELHI: The lowest minimum temperature of this season was recorded at 9.4° Celsius, three notches below normal, on Thursday. The maximum temperature was 25.6° C, two notches below normal.
Before this, the lowest minimum temperature in the capital was recorded at 10° Celsius on November 3. The normal average minimum temperature for November is 12.9 degrees.
Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at India Meteorological Department and head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, said, “After the western disturbance passed, the wind direction changed and cold air started coming to Delhi from hilly areas. The hilly areas have received snowfall. Due to lack of rain, there was no cloud cover, which caused warm days but cold nights.”
This October was also the coldest in 58 years with an average minimum temperature of 17.2° Celsius for the month. November had its coldest night in 26 years on Wednesday when the minimum temperature dropped to 12.5 degrees Celsius.
IMD has forecast the minimum and maximum temperatures to be around 25° and 9° Celsius, respectively, on Friday. Met officials have predicted mainly clear sky for Friday along with mist in the morning. “The minimum temperature will hover around 9° Celsius for the next two days. However, it is likely to drop to 8° Celsius by November 22,” said Srivastava.
The lowest minimum temperature in November in 2019 and 2018 was recorded 11.4 degrees Celsius and 10.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Though the lowest minimum temperature in November 2017 was 7.6° Celsius, it was recorded in the last week of the month.
Meanwhile, air quality remained in the “poor” category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 283. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said 967 fire counts were observed after a dip during Diwali. The share of stubble burning in the capital’s PM2.5 was 20%.
“Wind speed is favourable for transport of stubble fire smoke. AQI is set to deteriorate and forecast to be in the very poor range for Friday. However, it will marginally improve to lower end of the very poor category on November 21 and 22, mainly due to accelerated local surface winds and slight lowering of inversion layer height, leading to relatively better ventilation conditions,” stated SAFAR.