December11 was the coldest in the last six years

A preposterous drop of 9 degrees in the maximum temperatures yesterday, amazed many. Delhi’s maximum temperature was recorded at 18.7⁰C, an unbelievable fall from 27.7⁰C recorded on 10^th of December. This has given Dec 11 a crucial position in the historical records for being the coldest maximum temperature in north India, from November till the 11^th of December. Every year weather forecasters stay on their toes as new records are set in the winter season but this one will be remembered for a long time to come. Such weather conditions are not just rare but typically unusual and they point at the changing climatic conditions across the globe.

Weather system called the ‘Western Disturbance’ causes major changes in the months of winter as they persist in the lower latitudes as compared to the summers when they affect the subcontinent lesser. They are not just responsible for causing snow in the hills of Jammu and Kashmir but bring rain and slash both the day and night temperatures of north, northwest India. Weather forecasters say maximum temperature would not have dropped this much had the rain started in the afternoon. Since it started raining early morning and continued till evening, an immense drop in the temperature was recorded. Records in the last six years show the last time this low a temperature was recorded in the year 2010. This was 15⁰C on Dec 28. The reason for such a drop back then, can directly be linked to the dense foggy and cold day conditions that are typical in the last week of December.

While heavy snowfall in the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttrakhand will continue for the next three days, there are chances of light rain again tomorrow in the Capital and adjoining Punjab, Haryana, west U.P and north Rajasthan. This could therefore drop the day temperatures once again by 2 to 3⁰C in the entire northern plains making it colder at least for the next two days. Temperatures could be freezing from the Dec 17 onwards when the icy northerly winds will start to blow directly from the north.

Photograph by Ilya Khamushkin.