9.5°C: Mercury hits season's lowest, capping warmer Nov

The minimum temperature in Delhi fell below 10°C for the first time this season on Friday, the latest that the mercury has taken to tip into the single digits in five years, in what has so far been an unusually warm start to winter, where pollution levels have also been above average.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

Safdarjung weather station, which is considered representative of Delhi's weather, logged a minimum temperature of 9.5°C on Friday morning, a degree below normal. However, the mercury last dipped below 10°C this late only in 2019, shows data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Last year, the city's temperature fell into the single digits on November 23 (9.2°C). In 2022, this happened on November 18 (9.6°C), in 2021 on November 17 (9.6°C), in 2020 on November 19 (9.4°C).

In 2019, the temperature dropped below 10°C on December 1, when the minimum fell to 9.4°C.

"The dip in minimum temperatures over the last few days is mainly down to clear skies at night," said RK Jenamani, a scientist at IMD.

Days and nights this November have generally been warmer than normal, showed Met department data. The average minimum temperature this month has been the highest since 2019 and the average maximum has been the highest since 2016.

The average monthly minimum temperature this November has been 14.9°C, significantly higher than the long-period average of 13°C and the warmest since 15°C in 2019.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature this month has averaged 29.5°C - 1.1°C above the LPA. This is the highest average monthly temperature for the Capital in November since 2016, when it was 29.6°C, data showed. The maximum on Friday was 26.4°C.