Delhi: Here's why you are experiencing unusually hot days in October

New Delhi has been experiencing unusually hot days this October, with maximum temperatures reaching around 36 degrees Celsius. As per a TOI report, Meteorological officials attribute this heat to clear skies and the absence of rain and cloudiness. Last year, the city experienced heavy rainfall on October 8-9, which resulted in a decrease in maximum temperatures.

Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist and head of the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), explained that the clear skies this year have contributed to the high day temperatures. He noted that the absence of rain and cloudiness during the second week of October last year prevented the mercury from rising. So far, Delhi has not experienced any active western disturbances this month.

According to the forecast by the Met department, the day temperature is expected to remain between 35-36 degrees Celsius for the next four days. However, it may dip to 34 degrees Celsius on October 16, with a possibility of light rain or thundershowers on October 16 and 17.


IMD's data reveals that the highest maximum temperature recorded from October 1 to 11 was 36.5 degrees Celsius on October 8, which is four degrees above normal. The lowest day temperature during the same period was 34.4 degrees Celsius on October 3 and 4. Since October 5, the day temperature has consistently remained above 35 degrees Celsius. In comparison, the highest maximum temperature in October 2022 was 35.2 degrees Celsius on October 2. On October 8, the temperature dropped below 30 degrees Celsius, and the city experienced rainfall for four consecutive days from October 8 to 12, including heavy rainfall on one day.

Delhi has not seen any rain since August 24 when Safdarjung, the city's base station, recorded 15.2mm of rainfall. The normal rainfall mark for Safdarjung in October is 15.1mm. Meteorological officials mention that October usually witnesses a drop of three-four degrees in day temperatures. However, if an active western disturbance affects the region, there may be a sudden dip in temperatures.

On Wednesday, the maximum temperature in Delhi was 35 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal. The minimum temperature was 19.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal. The relative humidity ranged from 33% to 91%.