Coldest October in Delhi since 1962: IMD

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], October 31 (ANI): India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Safdarjung observatory in Delhi has recorded October 2020 as the coldest in the national capital since 1962, with 17.2 degrees Celsius as the mean minimum temperature (MMT) this year.
On October 29, Delhi's minimum temperature plummeted to 12.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal. It was also the lowest for this month over a period of 26 years.
The normal minimum temperature for October is 19.1 degrees Celsius.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD's regional weather forecasting centre, New Delhi, told ANI that the Safdarjung observatory recorded 2020's October as the coldest since 1991 in the corresponding month.
"The reason behind dip in the temperature is the absence of the cloud cover, along with no impact of western disturbance on the plains (mainly in Jammu and Kashmir) now. Another important reason is north-westerly wind direction."
In 1954, the mean minimum temperature (MMT) in October was recorded as the lowest with 16.7 degrees Celsius. Later, in the year 1962, the October MMT was recorded at 16.9 degrees Celsius.
In 1991, 1993, 1994, and 2007, the October MMTs were recorded at 17.6, 17.8, 17.9 and 17.5 degrees Celsius respectively, according to the IMD.
The winter season mostly depends on western disturbance. When western disturbance approaches northwest India, winter commences. (ANI)