Image: Canva/Skymet
Dry weather conditions have prevailed over Delhi/NCR during the last two days. Day temperatures have risen with a fair amount of sunshine. Minimum temperatures have dipped below 20°C, and Safdarjung Observatory recorded a low of 18.8°C this morning — the first sub-20°C reading of the season. Most other observatories also registered minimum temperatures below 20°C. Ridge and Lodhi Road recorded the lowest temperatures at 17.4°C and 17.6°C, respectively.
Despite the slightly early withdrawal of the monsoon, Delhi recorded decent showers in the first week of October. The base station, Safdarjung, accumulated 90 mm of rainfall, already exceeding the monthly normal of 14.1 mm. Further rains are unlikely over Delhi/NCR for the remainder of October.
Since 2011, there have been four instances when October saw nil rainfall, including last year. Twice, the monthly rainfall exceeded the three-digit mark — in 2021 and 2022. The national capital fell short of 100 mm this October and is unlikely to reach that mark. Courtesy of the early-month rains, day temperatures plunged to as low as 26.5°C twice during the period. The average day temperature for the first nine days of October stands at 31.5°C, compared to the normal of 33.5°C. Day temperatures are expected to remain in the low 30s, while the minimum is likely to hover around 20°C during the first half of October.
The monsoon is set to retreat from the remaining parts of the country within the next five days. This will lead to a persistent flow of northwesterly winds over North India. No active western disturbance is expected to affect the northern plains for the rest of October. Delhi will experience mostly sunny days, and the typical winter chill will begin to intensify during the night and early morning hours. Overall, pleasant days lie ahead for Delhi.
