At 24.6 deg C, Delhi records lowest maximum temperature of season so far

The national capital recorded a maximum of 24.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the lowest this season so far, as cold winds continued to sweep the city, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The minimum temperature settled at 8.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

The maximum temperature was two notches below normal and the minimum temperature four notches below normal, according to IMD data.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said the minimum temperature is likely to increase from Monday onwards under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance.

At 7.5 degrees Celsius, Delhi on Friday recorded its lowest minimum temperature in the month of November since November 29, 2006, when the city recorded a minimum of 7.3 degrees Celsius.

For the plains, the IMD declares acoldwavewhen the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal for two consecutive days.

However, for a small area like Delhi, a cold wave can be declared if the criteria is fulfilled even for a day, Srivastava said.

Delhi had recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 11.5 degrees Celsius last year, 10.5 degrees Celsius in 2018 and 7.6 degrees Celsius in 2017 in the month of November.

The all-time record for the lowest minimum temperature in November is 3.9 degrees Celsius recorded on November 28, 1938.

Mahesh Palawat, an expert at Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, said cold winds blowing from snow-laden western Himalayas have led to a dip in the mercury and a similar situation will continue till Saturday.

A fresh Western Disturbance is approaching northwest India on November 23. It is likely to increase the minimum temperature by a few notches, he said.

The minimum temperature this month, barring on November 16, has remained 2-3 degree Celsius below normal in the absence of a cloud cover, according to IMD officials.

Clouds trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation andradiate it back downward, warming the ground.

The month ofOctoberwas thecoldestin 58 years in the national capital.

The mean minimum temperature in Octoberthis year was 17.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest since 1962, when it was 16.9 degrees Celsius.