Mercury dips to 10 in Delhi; harsh winter ahead: IMD

The minimum temperature of the national capital dipped to 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning, five notches below normal and the lowest this season so far, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Speaking to IANS, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that winters will be harsher in northern India this year due to the La Nina effect. Due to this phenomenon, night temperatures are likely to be on the lower side, bringing in a much colder winter.

Safdarjung, Delhi's base station for weather, and Ayanagar recorded a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road recorded a minimum of 10.6 degrees Celsius, Palam recorded 12.7, while Ridge logged 13.7. The maximum temperature was 30.1 degrees Celsius.

According to IMD officials, temperatures usually dips to 11-12 degrees Celsius by the last week of November. "It will be hazy today, with mist or shallow fog on Wednesday morning and clear sky throughout the day," the forecast said.

November has started on a colder-note. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 10.8 degrees Celsius on Monday morning. On Sunday, the capital city recorded a minimum temperature of 11.4 degrees Celsius.

The month of October was also the city's coldest in the past 58 years.

"The dip in mercury is due to lack of cloud cover over the region. Clouds trap the outgoing infrared radiation and radiate it back downward, thereby warming the ground," said Head of IMD's regional forecasting centre, Kuldeep Srivastava.

Besides, in the last three days, there has been light snowfall and rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, Srivastava said, adding that north-westerly winds from those higher regions are blowing into Delhi further impacting the slide in temperature.