Delhi saw the warmest December in six years, which has raised concerns about a cold wave

 Delhi saw the warmest December in six years, which has raised concerns about a cold wave

Delhi saw the warmest December in six years, which has raised concerns about a cold wave

There isn't a cold wave alarm in Delhi. In Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi, the IMD has forecasted "dense to very dense fog and cold day to severe cold day conditions at some places."

The IMD reports that on December 15, a minimum temperature of 4.9ºC was the lowest ever recorded.

Given that December in North India was the warmest in the previous six years, the meteorological service has warned of the possibility of a cold wave in the country's central regions in January. According to the prediction, there is a possibility of intense fog continuing till January 4 in several areas of northwest and eastern India.

The director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrityunjay Mohapatra, said that 2023 was the second wettest year after 1901 and that the annual mean air temperature was 0.65 degrees Celsius higher than average. He also forecasted normal rainfall throughout the January, February, and March period.

2016 was the warmest year since 1901, with an average air temperature 0.710 degrees Celsius higher than usual. According to Mohapatra, most of the nation will experience a warm morning, while the central and northwest regions can anticipate a cold day.

When the highest temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below normal, the IMD designates it as a "cold day" or "severe cold day." Comparably, when the lowest temperature falls by 4.5 degrees or more below average, it is referred to as a "cold wave" or "severe cold wave."

The Indian Express claims that this year there were no "cold days" or "severe cold days" in Delhi. The average maximum temperature for the month was 24.1 degrees, which is 1.8 degrees higher than the typical monthly average of 22.8 degrees, according to statistics from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

What's in store for Delhi in January?

A yellow notice designating a chilly day was the only one issued on January 1; Delhi has not gotten a cold wave signal. Still, no warning has been sent out for the next four days. Up to January 5, "mainly clear skies and light fog in the morning" is the IMD's prediction.

However, for Delhi, Chandigarh, and Haryana, the IMD has predicted "dense to very dense fog and the cold day to severe cold day elements at some places".

The national capital surprisingly had the "coldest May" of 2023, according to news agency PTI. May 2023 had the lowest recorded highest temperature in Delhi since 1987, at 36.8 degrees Celsius. This was verified by IMD's Regional Forecasting Center. Information, considering that Delhi's May 1987 highest average temperature was 36 degrees Celsius.

Why was December so hot in Delhi?

In certain sections of the nation, less snowfall and rainfall in December might be the cause of an exceptionally chilly May in 2023. The weather bureau states that Safdarjung Observatory typically receives 8.1 mm of rain each month. On the other hand, a trace was noted this month. The actual amount of rainfall was 100.0% less than the long-term average.

The western disturbance was not powerful enough to produce a substantial amount of snowfall in the western Himalayan area, according to IMD spokesman Kuldeep Srivastava. December had very little snowfall, and what little that did fall melted quickly. North-westerly winds deliver a refreshing air to Delhi whenever there is considerable snowfall," he told The Times of India.