Delhi - People living in the Capital city experience extreme cold temperatures as the weather in Delhi in January sees mercury below 10⁰C. Many a times, cold day conditions prevail with dense fog hours. Light rain at times as a result of the Western Disturbance make the days even colder with no sunshine. This might not sound so appealing to the people living in other parts of the country but surprisingly, it is this January weather in Delhi that makes Delhiites wait for it the entire year and attracts hundreds of foreign tourists too who prefer to travel to Delhi during the cold winter months as opposed to the frightful summers. There’s good news for people planning to spend New Year’s in Delhi. The January 2013 weather in Delhi will see below normal temperatures and very cold days. This will be a great treat after the much warmer December month.
Mumbai - January is the coolest month of the year. And the weather in Mumbai is generally mild and pleasant with daytime highs of around 27°C and nighttime lows of around 17°. Though cold northern winds during the day make the city seem cooler than it really is. Clear skies with smog especially, in the early morning hours are a norm in Mumbai. January is also associated with the deciduous trees in the city shedding their leaves. 26–27 January 2008 recorded a minimum temperature of 10.2 °C, which is the lowest recorded in 45 years. Mumbai's record breaking winter 2012 had the minimum temperature 8.2°C. The weather in January 2013 in Mumbai is expected to be marginally warmer this year as temperatures may rise with light rain at places.
Chennai - January offers a cheerful ambiance and it is the coldest month of the year. It is a good period to explore the attractions of the city and its outskirts. Outdoor trips and beach activities can be best enjoyed during this month. Weather in Chennai in January does not go below 20⁰C and light rain is accompanied by light winds. As northeast monsoon rains come to an end by December, January stays cool and dry with only slight possibility of few drops. Sea waves too remain low. Skymet weather forecasters predict normal weather for Chennai in January 2013
Kolkata -The weather in Kolkata in January stays pleasant as people wear light woolens, but fog hours and a number of flight delays disrupt the lives of people, many a times. This fog in Kolkata in the winter months particularly last week of December and first few weeks of January forms due to the high pollution levels and the moisture feed from the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal that gets trapped in the atmosphere. Things have been different though for the last few years probably due to global warming. Earlier this week, we forecasted a warmer Christmas weather for Kolkata and the same pattern of higher temperatures (by 1 to 2 degrees) should continue in January 2013 too.
Hyderabad - Hyderabad is fairly warm all through the year except for the winter season which is pleasant. Weather in January in Hyderabad remains pleasant with temperatures running between 32°C to 14°C. It is suitable for sightseeing and outdoor activities in Hyderabad. Nights are comparatively cooler in winter than daytime and days will have clear blue sky and light winds. No wonder ‘Chaar Minar’ is the hot spot for people of city and tourists during January. But the year 2013 will start off as a warmer year for Hyderabad as the weather gods don’t seem to be pleased for some reason and the comparatively colder month of January will witness temperatures higher than normal.
Jatin Singh, CEO of Skymet Weather Services throws light on the topic that has concerned most of us in the last decade. He says, “Temperatures will keep rising as colder months turn into warmer months, and we will keep facing the harmful effects of global warming if we as a nation do not take weather seriously and be weather wise”.
Photo by Ahron de Leeuw.