On Thursday morning, residents of Delhi woke up to an unusual sight of shallow fog, which is not typical for the scorching month of May.
The temperature dropped to 15.8 degrees Celsius, marking it as the third coldest May morning since 1901.
May has historically been the hottest month in the city, with a mean maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius.
However, Delhi is currently experiencing an unexpected pattern of weather, including cloudy skies, sporadic rain, and cool weather, which officials attribute to back-to-back western disturbances affecting northwest India.
Many residents posted pictures and videos of fog blanketing the city’s skyline on social media, expressing their surprise at this surreal experience.
Weather department officials explained that high moisture content in the air, calm winds, and a significant difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures created conditions favorable for the formation of fog.
Shallow fog is defined as visibility between 501 and 1,000 meters, according to the IMD.
The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 30 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday.
On Wednesday, it logged a maximum temperature of 30.6 degrees Celsius, which is nine notches below normal, and on Thursday, it recorded a minimum temperature of 15.8 degrees Celsius, the third lowest in the month since the weather-keeping started in 1901. Humidity levels oscillated between 80 per cent and 100 per cent at most places in the city.
Weather officials have predicted another spell of rain starting from Friday, and another western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India starting May 5.
Under its influence, cloudy skies and sporadic rain are predicted in the capital until May 7, and the maximum temperature is predicted to remain below 35 degrees Celsius until May 8.
The MeT office has predicted below-normal maximum temperatures and fewer heatwave days in northwest India in May. (With inputs from PTI)
