Delhi records December's coldest day in 3 years with minimum temp 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 Dec 12, with cold wave conditions intensified, according to data from the regional meteorological center 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 Dec 13 in Delhi predicts the minimum temperature to be around 4°C.

“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.” IMD said in its forecast.

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.

Delhi marked the coldest Dec 12 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 Dec 11, 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, Dec 12 maximum temperature was 22.2°C, 0.8°C below normal, the IMD added.

Forecast

For Dec 13, the weather department predicted a “Mainly clear sky with cold wave conditions at isolated places. The predominant surface wind is likely to be from the northwest direction with a speed of less than 08 kmph during morning hours. Smog/mist is likely in the morning. The wind speed will increase after that becoming less than 14 kmph from the northwest direction during the afternoon. It will decrease after that becoming less than 08 kmph from the northwest direction during evening and night. Smog/mist is likely in the evening/night.”

For Dec 14, the forecast said, “Mainly clear sky with cold wave conditions at isolated places. The predominant surface wind is likely to be from the northwest direction with a speed of 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 the northwest direction during the afternoon. It will decrease after that 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 Dec 15, in isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh until Dec 15, and in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh until Dec 13.

Cold wave conditions are also expected in Madhya Pradesh until Dec 16, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand until Dec 14, Delhi on Dec 13 and 14, and Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad from Dec 13 to 16.

Cold day conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh from Dec 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 Dec 17.

Ground frost conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh on Dec 12 and 13.