Significant drop in night temperatures across plains of North India

In view of the Western Disturbance (WD) the night temperatures in the plains of North India had been rising, while the day temperatures were recording below normal at many places due to clouding and lack of sunshine. But as the WD has cleared from the region the night temperatures have dropped significantly across the northern plains. The drop in minimum temperature is about 5-6 degrees, on an average.

This can be understood from the data available with Skymet Meteorology Division in India. Amritsar in Punjab recorded 4.4°C as the minimum temperature on Wednesday morning, which is almost 3 degrees less than that observed on Tuesday. Similarly Pathankot recorded 12.7°C as the minimum on Tuesday morning but it dropped to settle at 5.7°C on Wednesday morning. Another place in Punjab that saw significant drop in the night temperature is Bhatinda. The minimum in the city had settled at 12.3°C on Tuesday morning but on Wednesday morning the temperature dropped about 4 degrees to settle at 7.4°C.

Adjoining state of Haryana also saw a significant drop in the night temperatures on Wednesday morning. Hisar had recorded 11.4°C as the minimum on Tuesday morning but on Wednesday it settled at 8.2°C. Narnaul, on Wednesday saw the minimum settle at 6°C, a drop of 5°C from Tuesday’s minimum of 11°C. Some other places in Haryana to have recorded a drop in night temperatures are Ambala, Bhiwani and Karnal.

The national capital Delhi also observed a drop in minimum temperature, though not a very significant one. The Safdarjung Observatory in Delhi had recorded 13.6°C as the minimum on Tuesday but on Wednesday the night temperature dropped to record 11.3°C. However the Wednesday minimum is still above the normal average for the month, therefore the nights are not very chilly in Delhi.

In next 24 hours a further drop in the night temperatures is expected in the plains of North India, thereafter the minimums will maintain levels for a couple of days. The maximums in view of clear skies and ample sunshine could rise. However, the cold dry northwesterlies will still give that chill factor in the region.