Delhi records coldest May day in a decade

Temperature drops to 18 degrees, seven notches below normal

The coldest day in May in a decade was experienced by the Capital on Tuesday when the early morning temperatures dipped to 18 degrees Celsius, seven degrees below normal, and the maximum temperature settled nine degrees below normal at 30.6 degrees Celsius.

The last time it was this cold on a May morning was in 2004 when the minimum temperature had dropped to 16.7 degrees Celsius.

“This is not freak weather, although it may not be a regularity. It is a near-normal phenomenon. The moisture formation over the Arabian Sea is responsible for the rain. It has not just affected the Capital but also most of North-West India,” said India Meteorological Director B.P Yadav.

According to the IMD duty officers, the city received 9.7 mm of rainfall between 8-30 a.m. on Monday and 8-30 on Tuesday morning. The average temperature during the month of May is a maximum of 41 degrees and a minimum of 26 degrees. The average rainfall during this month is 13 mm.

Meanwhile, citizens, suffering under the sweltering heat for the past couple of weeks, were overjoyed at the almost winter-like morning and the rain on Monday evening which preceded the lovely weather.

“I had started switching on my air-conditioner a few weeks ago in mid-April. However, when I went out on Monday evening after the rain, the almost cold weather told me I wouldn’t even need the fan and I was right. I woke up early in the morning and had to cover myself with a quilt,” said Sahana, an IAS aspirant residing in Karol Bagh.

“I got up early and stayed awake just to enjoy the good weather,” said Vicky, an office-goer in Connaught Place.

Although the blazing sun of the past few weeks stayed away through most of the morning, the afternoon was sunny but the evening again turned pleasant with winds blowing across the city regularly. Though the weather will not stay this cool for too long, more relief from the hot conditions is expected intermittently.

“These weather conditions are going to last till Wednesday afternoon and perhaps after a few days another western disturbance might come this way resulting in rain and the same pleasant weather conditions,” said Mr. Yadav, adding that the next spell of good weather might come within a few days.

Wednesday promises to be pleasant too with rain and thunder expected at a few places and the maximum and minimum set to oscillate between 21 and 31 degrees Celsius.