Average maximum temperature dips, minimum temperature rises in Jan in national capital

Delhi’s average minimum temperature has been the lowest compared to figures in the same period according to data by the Met department. While Delhi’s average minimum temperature in January has been higher than that recorded in the past five years, the average maximum temperature has been lower.

The average minimum temperature is 8.6 degrees Celsius, highest for the first 20 days of January from 2017 onwards. The corresponding figure for January 2021 is 7.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 7.9 degrees Celsius in 2020, 6.4 degrees Celsius, 7.5 degrees Celsius in 2018 and 2017 respectively. The data has been provided by the Safdarjung weather station.

The average maximum temperature recorded between January 1 to 20 period is 18 degrees, marginally lower than 18,8 degrees in 2021, 18.9 degrees in 2020. In the previous year, the average maximum temperature was a few notches higher at 21.3 degrees Celsius, higher at 22.3 degrees in 2018. The average maximum temperature was 20.5 degrees Celsius in 2017.

According to IMD, the average daily minimum temperature in January in Delhi in 2010 is 7.6 degrees Celsius and the average daily maximum temperature is 20.5 degrees Celsius. At Safdurjung, the lowest minimum temperature fir January this year, so far, has been 4,2 degrees Celsius on the first day of the year. The temperature is warmer than the lowest minimum of 1.1 degrees Celsius last year and 2.4 degrees on January 1 in 2020. The temperature is marginally higher than the lowest minimum temperature of 4 degrees on the same day the previous year.

Colder days with warmer nights

The maximum temperature has remained below 20 degrees Celsius, 14 out of 20 days this month. Two days at Safdurjung weather observatory have been cold days, maximum temperature was 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was below normal at 19.1 degrees Celsius.

According to R k Jenamani, senior scientist with IMD, cloudy skies are preventing sunlight from reaching the surface making days colder overall. Moreover, chilly winds in day daytime are further lowering the temperature. Cloud cover, on the other hand, over the night is making nights warmer. Clouds by trapping the heat released by the surface at night make the nights warmer than the days. Strong cold winds, however, make both days and nights cold.

He further explained that western disturbances that bring storms from the Mediterranean region, bringing winter rainfall, brought and snowfall this year between January 7 and 10, a weather conditions not seen in recent years. Another western disturbance is likely in northwest India Friday onwards. In the gap between two western disturbances, clouds are keeping nights warmers and days colder.