Delhi recorded a minimum of 11.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is the lowest in the month of April in at least 12 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Cool, northerly winds led to a sharp dip in the minimum temperature in Delhi, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency.
He also said there are no chances of a ”heatwave” in Delhi for another week. The higher reaches of Western Himalayas have been witnessing snowfall and the adjacent areas in the plains are receiving rain intermittently since March last week due to successive Western Disturbances, he said. ”The skies over Delhi have remained mostly clear over the last few days, while strong winds have reduced pollution levels. It allowed the infrared radiation to escape back to space,” Palawat said. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum of 11.7 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal.
The weather station at Lodhi Road recorded a low of 10.6 degrees Celsius, which was 7.4 degrees Celsius below normal, the IMD said. The lowest minimum temperature for the month of April was 14.4 degrees Celsius last year, 16.2 degrees Celsius in 2019 and 17.6 degrees Celsius in 2018.
The city had recorded 10.7 degrees Celsius on April 2, 1965 — the all-time record, according to IMD data.
Minimum temperatures fell appreciably in Punjab and Haryana, too. Chandigarh registered a minimum of 12.3 degrees Celsius, Hisar 10.4 degrees Celsius and Karnal 9.5 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in the capital is likely to increase to 38 degrees Celsius by Monday, the IMD said. On Monday, Delhi reeled under a ”severe” heatwave, as the maximum temperature shot up to 40.1 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest day in March in 76 years.
