Time to get your heaters out as Delhi witnesses coldest December in 22 years

To all those who were missing the infamous Delhi winter chill, winter has come, finally and how! As per weather reports, Delhi is experiencing the coldest start to December in nearly two decades. The mean maximum temperature recorded between the period of 1-15 December, 2019 is 22.7 degrees Celsius (lowest since 1997).

Not only this, it is also the first time that day temperature has not touched 25 degrees Celsius (from 1-15 December). However, the temperatures during the nights have been normal. It is being said that this year’s cold has taken people back to the 70s and 80s; those were the times when cold use to hit the city early in December. According to a study conducted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the onset of winter is slowly shifting forward by around 15 days in recent years. But this year, the month of December has been an exception and did not follow the same pattern.
Head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, Kuldeep Srivastava said that winter temperatures in north India are regulated by Western Disturbances (WDs) and the month of December has seen two of these so far, including a major one last week that led to record rainfall.

He also added that because of WDs, the day temperatures dips because of clouds and rain. Explaining further, he said that this December has also witnessed a number of highly polluted days, which lowered the day temperatures by blocking the sunlight.
The Met department has predicted colder days ahead.