The lowest night temperature recorded in Kanpur was 6.5 degrees, incidentally twice in 2005 and 2009.
However, the difference between the very low temperature recorded early this morning and the low temperatures recorded in 2005 and 2009 is that these temperatures went this low only in the later half of November i.e. on 28th of November 2005 and 22nd of November 2009.
Thus, it can be concluded that winter this year has arrived much earlier in the plains.
Same falls true for Lucknow and Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow has been recording below normal temperatures for the last few days but yesterday, it plummeted to 8.6 degrees as minimum, which is four degrees below the average of 12.8 degrees. There have been only four occasions since 2003 that night temperatures were recorded less than yesterday's, one recorded at 7.2 degrees in 2006.
Again, just as in the case of Kanpur, previously in the last 10 years the lowest temperatures were recorded in the later half of November, post the 20th.
Agra recorded minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees which is below normal by 5 notches. And the same observation mentioned above applies to Agra as well.
Hisar and Karnal in Haryana in northwest plains too are experiencing cold winter nights early in November this year.
Winter in Delhi, the national capital has also seems to have started earlier this year as it has been consistently recording minimum temperatures of around 12 degrees for last few days. However, mornings in Delhi are not as cool as places in the plains of Uttar Pradesh or Haryana. The minimum temperatures in Delhi are almost near normal with a departure of one to two degree compared to four to five degrees in Uttar Pradesh.