This winter was Delhi's warmest in 12 years
It seems the song 'pyaar mera dilli ki sardi' will cease to exist, what with weather experts certifying this year's winter to be the warmest in 12 years, in terms of day temperatures. In Delhi, the duration from December till February sends chills down the spine, but this February registered average maximum temperatures of 26.5 degrees C. Totally dampening! But why was this?
Blame it on the lack of rain and snow
Generally, it rains in January-February, bringing down temperature by several notches. But this year, they remained dry. One western disturbance brought rains to the northern plains, but bypassed the capital, said IMD's Kuldeep Srivastava. Moreover, snowfall in the western Himalayas was much below normal, causing mild winter conditions throughout northern India. Thus January saw day temperatures at 1.7 degrees higher than normal.
Global warming is to be blamed...again!
Experts believe global warming was a major factor. "Delhi has been witnessing mild winters for three years while day temperatures in February have been above average since 2015," Srivastava said. Then there were the westerly winds in February, which are "generally warmer than the ones coming from the north," he added. S Pai, another IMD scientist, said such conditions also depend on "year-to-year phenomenon."
But there was a bright side
There was one bright side to it though: along with high temperatures, the weather was clearer and dryer this time, which meant pollution levels in all the three winter months were at their lowest in three years, a much-needed respite for Delhi.
