January set to end as Delhi’s coldest in at least 12 years: Here’s why

IMD officials attributed below-normal maximum temperatures to fog spells that have persisted in the absence of a western disturbance. Earlier this month, strong jet stream winds, which are westerly winds in the upper level of the atmosphere, over north India had also contributed to keeping daytime temperatures below normal.

IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava, said, “The uplifted fog that we saw this month resulted in below-normal maximum temperatures. The fog layer has persisted because of the absence of a western disturbance. Usually, we see two to three western disturbances in January, but this time, we have not seen any western disturbances affecting the plains of northwest India so far.”

Delhi’s weather in the non-monsoon months is largely regulated by western disturbances — storms that originate in the Caspian or Mediterranean Sea. The city also recorded five cold wave days so far this month, when the minimum temperature remained significantly below normal. Last year, Delhi recorded eight cold wave days in January.

The average minimum temperature so far this month — 6.3 degrees Celsius — is close to the average of 6.42 degrees recorded in January, till January 27, last year.
Over the next six days, the maximum temperature is likely to range from 23 to 26 degrees Celsius, going by the IMD forecast. The minimum temperature, which was 4.3 degrees on Saturday, could see an increase over the next six days, and is likely to be around 9 degrees Celsius on February 1, the forecast indicates.