NEW DELHI: Delhi’s minimum temperature was recorded at seven degrees Celsius on Monday and is likely to drop further as cold winds from the snow-clad western Himalayas continued to sweep the plains, the IMD said.
The mercury is likely to drop to five to six degrees Celsius by January 14, an IMD official said.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum temperature of seven degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 16.2 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal.
Delhi has registered above-normal minimum temperatures since January 3 as a cloud cover persisted over the city under the influence of successive western disturbances.
Delhi’s minimum temperature had settled at 7.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 10.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, 9.6 degrees Celsius on Friday and 14.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the highest in January in four years, IMD said.
The cloud cover over the national capital has prevented a steep decline in the minimum temperature so far, the official said.Clouds trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation and radiate it back downward, warming the ground.
However, the minimum temperature has started declining with the commencement of northwesterly winds from snow-capped mountains towards the plains starting Saturday, the official said
SC needs ‘concrete steps’ on stubble burning
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to submit a detailed report on how it plans to control stubble burning in future.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, to file a detailed plan.
“Come to us with a concrete plan on stubble burning...,” the bench said. Advocate Vikas Singh appearing for petitioner Aditya Dubey said that now the season of stubble burning is over but the affidavit of the Centre needs to show steps for the next season.