Dec 13, 2024 07:48 AM IST
Thursday marked Delhi’s coldest December day in the past three years, with the overall minimum temperature dropping to 4.5°C.
The minimum temperatures in Delhi’s Pusa and Ayangar areas reached 3.2°C and 3.8°C, respectively on Thursday, with cold wave conditions observed, according to data from the regional meteorological centre in New Delhi. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has further predicted that cold wave conditions will persist at isolated locations in parts of North India until the weekend.
The IMD’s forecast for Friday in Delhi predicts the minimum temperature to be around 4°C. The forecast said, “Cold wave conditions at isolated places. Smog/mist is likely in the morning. Mainly clear sky. Smog/mist is likely in the evening/night. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 23 and 04 degrees Celsius respectively.”
According to the IMD, cold wave conditions occur when temperatures fall below 4.1°C or when the departure from normal temperatures exceeds 4.4°C below average.
Thursday marked Delhi’s coldest December day in the past three years, with the overall minimum temperature dropping to 4.5°C. This was 0.4°C below normal, compared to 4.9°C on Wednesday, as per the IMD. The temperature had fallen sharply from 5°C the previous day. Data shows that the minimum temperature did not drop below 4.9°C in December 2023 and 2022.
The lowest recorded minimum temperature in December last year was 4.9°C on December 15, while in 2022 it was 5°C on December 26.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s maximum temperature was 22.2°C, 0.8°C below normal, the IMD added.
Forecast for Delhi
For Friday, the weather department predicted a “Mainly clear sky with cold wave conditions at isolated places. The predominant surface wind is likely to be from northwest direction with speed less than 08 kmph during morning hours. Smog/mist is likely in the morning. The wind speed will increase thereafter becoming less than 14 kmph from northwest direction during afternoon. It will decrease thereafter becoming less than 08 kmph from northwest direction during evening and night. Smog/mist is likely in the evening/night.”
For Saturday, December 14, the forecast said, “Mainly clear sky with cold wave conditions at isolated places. The predominant surface wind is likely to be from northwest direction with speed less than 08 kmph during morning hours. Smog/mist is likely in the morning. The wind speed will gradually increase becoming 10-12 kmph from northwest direction during afternoon. It will decrease thereafter becoming less than 08 kmph from northwest direction during evening and night. Smog/mist is likely in the evening/night.”
IMD’s forecast for cold wave conditions across north India
IMD predicted no significant change in minimum temperatures is expected over Northwest and Central India for the next 5 days.
A gradual fall in minimum temperatures by 2-3°C is likely over East India during the next 2 days, with no significant change afterward and a gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 2-3°C is expected over West India (except Gujarat) during the next 5 days, the weather department said.
Cold wave conditions are very likely in parts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh until December 15, in isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh until December 15, and in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh until December 13.
Cold wave conditions are also expected in Madhya Pradesh until December 16, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand until December 14, Delhi on December 13 and 14, and Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad from December 13 to 16.
Cold day conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh from December 12 to 14.
Dense fog conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Bihar until December 13, and Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura until December 17.
Ground frost conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh on December 12 and 13.
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