Delhi continues to be unusually warm with both, day and night temperatures breaching normal standards. Festivities of Diwali have commenced but rising mercury plays a dampener. There is hardly any flavour of chill, which, otherwise is synonymous with this festival. Fervours of the main function on 31st October and 01st Nov will have to bear with atypical weather conditions. These may extend as well, to the opening week of November.
The Base observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 21°C, today morning, the highest since 10th October 2024. Plunging of mercury in the last days of October is very common and the lowest temperature for the month, more often, get clocked between 25th and 31st October. Last year, the lowest minimum for Delhi was 14.3°C registered on 28th October. The lowest temperature for the month over the last two decades was 12.5°C, measured on 29th Oct 2020. It is not only the night temperatures, the day maximum also, was the highest in the last ten days, at 35.8°C. Both, the day and night temperatures were above normal by 5°C. Today, it is likely to be a repeat of the same with the mercury reaching 36°C, about 5°-6°C above the average. The minimum temperatures after Diwali night, as such, wield a spike on account of a thick layer of pollution, attributable to the crackers, despite the ban across Delhi/NCR.
There is no effective weather system likely to mitigate the ill effects of smog, hanging around the Delhi region for the next few days. A feeble western disturbance is clearing the mountains today. In the wake, there could be slightly cold air dropping the night temperature, albeit marginally. There are no signs of a typical winter pattern establishing over the plains of north India. Wind stream will remain disturbed and much desired dry and cold northwesterly winds will remain capsized. After witnessing, possibly one of the warmest October in Delhi, the first week of November is going to retrace and remain much warmer than expected. No rain is likely over the next 10 days, to arrest the pollution and warmth, around the city.