Day chill in Ggm: Max temp falls below 18°C first time this winter

A sudden spell of unseasonal drizzle and light rain caught people by surprise on Monday morning, pushing the maximum temperature in Delhi below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this season and bringing the all-too-familiar chill that is characteristic of December.

- Aheli Das

NEW DELHI:

The maximum temperature dropped to 18.4°C, marking a sharp fall from Sunday's 24.1°C and 2.3°C below normal.

While the past week's nights have already been cold, daytime temperature drops are often felt more intensely by people due as its impact is usually felt when people are outdoors and active.

Weather scientists have forecast even more rain towards the weekend, which is expected to keep the day-time temperature considerably below what is considered normal this time of the year.

This is the first time since 2021, that the maximum has dropped below 20°C so early in winters, according to India Meteorological department (IMD) data. Last year, the maximum went below 20°C for the first time on December 29 with a reading of 19.8°C, and in 2022 on December 25, when the maximum fell to 16.2°C. In 2021, the temperature briefly fell below 20°C on December 2.

An IMD official explained that persistent cloud cover reduced solar heating, causing Monday's significant drop. "Generally cloudy skies persisted throughout the day. As a result, the heat penetration to the earth's surface went down, leading to a dip in the maximum," the officials said.

Conversely, the minimum temperature rose slightly to 8.6°C, one degree above normal, due to nighttime cloud insulation trapping heat near the earth's surface.