Delhi set for colder nights by weekend

A western disturbance will primarily impact the mountains, leading to fresh snowfall, with cold northwesterly winds to blow towards the plains from Friday

A western disturbance that has started influencing northwest India from Tuesday is likely to lead to colder nights in the Capital, as the minimum temperature is expected to dip by 2-3 degrees Celsius (°C) by the weekend, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

A smoggy morning at Kartavya Path. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The western disturbance will primarily impact the mountains, leading to fresh snowfall, with cold northwesterly winds to blow towards the plains from Friday.

The lowest minimum so far this season was recorded at 15.8°C, on October 26. This will be the first time the minimum dips below 15°C. Long-term data shows the minimum also tends to dip below 10°C by the end of November.

Last year, the lowest minimum temperature in November was 9.5°C, recorded on November 29. In 2023, it was 9.2°C on November 23. In 2022, it fell as low as 7.3°C, on November 29.

“In Delhi-NCR, mainly cloudiness is expected. The impact will be in the hills and after fresh snowfall, we will see cold northwesterly winds from Thursday night, which will lead to a sharp dip in mercury,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet.

Delhi’s minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 16.5°C, a degree above normal. Forecasts have predicted cloudy skies on Wednesday and Thursday, with a drop in wind speed likely.

In its forecast bulletin, the IMD said mist is likely at night-time, with shallow fog likely on Thursday and Friday morning. According to the forecast, the minimum temperature is expected to hover between 16°C and 18°C on Wednesday, between 15 and 17°C on Thursday; between 14 and 16°C on Friday and 13 and 15°C on Saturday.

Palawat said winds of up to 12km/hr were also recorded in the daytime on Tuesday, but wind speed is expected to drop on Wednesday. “Winds will remain mostly calm on Wednesday and Thursday, but become strong from Friday onwards.”

The return of cold northwesterly winds is also expected to negatively impact the air quality index (AQI), as they typically transport stubble smoke to Delhi-NCR from Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi’s maximum temperature, meanwhile, was recorded at 32.1°C, which was two degrees above normal. It is expected to stay in the 29-31°C range on Wednesday and 27-29°C on Thursday and Friday, making days cooler too.

An increase in wind speed on Tuesday, meanwhile, aided Delhi’s air quality. The 24-hour average AQI stood at 291 (poor), in improvement from 309 (very poor) recorded a day earlier.

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said the environment department has issued directions to all agencies to further intensify dust mitigation efforts. “We are aware that the winter period is a crucial phase for Delhi due to weather and external factors. Yet, our teams on the ground are showing exceptional dedication. The results clearly show that when monitoring, enforcement, and dust control go hand in hand, Delhi can and will perform better,” he said.