The record observatory of Delhi, Safdarjung recorded the lowest minimum temperature of this season. Mercury plunged to 6.5°C, about 3°C below the normal and a drop of about 2°C, since yesterday. The meteorological office at Lodhi Road recorded the lowest temperature in the region, at 6.3°C. Earlier, Lodhi Road has been measuring minimum temperature shade lower than Safdarjung and Palam airport observatory slightly higher than the other two. The morning temperature is likely to dip further during this week.
As per pentad normal, Safdarjung starts with the lowest of 9-10°C at the beginning of December and closes with 6-7°C at the fag end of the month. Variations and fluctuations sometimes become quite large, depending upon the state of the sky due to weather systems. The cloudy sky lowers the day temperature and the night temperatures climb. Contrarily, the clear sky increases the day temperature with a fair amount of sunshine and the mercury takes a dip in the night on account of radiational cooling.
Delhi has recorded just about a trace of rainfall in some areas during this month, so far, on 04th December. Typical dense fog disrupting traffic is yet to be witnessed. It generally happens after a good spread of rain. Seasonal wind chill factor, adding cool sting during morning hours has been amiss and that too happens after the clearance of weather in the wake of western disturbance. Deep winter chill in the plains of north India, including Delhi, is invariably an offshoot of snowfall in the lower hills which generally happens around Christmas or a little later in the new year.
Delhi mercury has been dipping consistently for the last 4 days. The minimum has dropped from 9.4°C on 08th December to 6.5°C today morning. There is a very mild western disturbance moving across the mid and high reaches of the northern mountains. Therefore, any immediate drop is not likely. As the system clears the region on 13th Dec, further drop by a degree or two, plunging the minimum closer to 5°C is likely during this week. Yet another weak system will travel across the same region on 16th& 17th Dec. Delhi will continue to observe hazy and cool mornings with a fair amount of sunshine during the week. Some streaks of high clouds may appear for some time between 14th and 16th December 2023. Dry weather conditions are expected for the next 10 days or so.
