Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 10 degree Celsius (C) on Tuesday morning, which was 5 degrees C below normal.
This temperature was updated by India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 8.30am. “There are cold wave conditions already over Delhi, but will be declared on day 2 if same criteria is fulfilled,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre.
On Monday, the minimum temperature recorded was 10.8 degrees C.
The minimum temperatures are likely to be below normal over all of north-west India, except some parts of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Uttarakhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), where it is likely to be nearly normal to above normal, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Delhi.
Experts said the fall in minimum temperature in Delhi-national capital region (NCR) is due to a combination of factors, including incursion of cold air from the Himalayas and subsidence of cold air over the region.
“Climatologically, we are moving towards winter. Temperature will gradually fall. However, there is subsidence of air over the Delhi-NCR, which is bringing down minimum temperature. There are cold northerly winds, but they are not as strong,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general, IMD, on Monday.
Subsidence, Mohapatra explained, is the downward movement of cold and dry air closer to the surface.
Rainfall activity is also likely to increase because of the influence of strengthening of north-easterly winds.
Widespread rainfall accompanied with isolated thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur over Tamil Nadu (TN) and Kerala from Wednesday (November 4).
Heavy rainfall is likely to occur over TN from between Wednesday and Friday (November 4 and 6); over Kerala till Thursday (November 5); and over south interior Karnataka on Wednesday and Thursday (November 4 and 5).
Dry weather is likely to prevail over the rest of the country during the next five days.