Met predicts cooler winds all month

Mumbai will get more chilly, while Delhi will be misty all month, says the Met

Winter has arrived and it is time to get your sweaters out. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that the temperature will see a further drop and the city will witness cold winds throughout December. The lowest temperature in the past 20 years was recorded yesterday.

The city's minimum temperature has dropped to 16.2 C on Saturday and will further drop another degree in the next 48 hours, according to the IMD. The maximum temperature recorded was 28.7 C. Dr RV Sharma, deputy director, IMD-western region says, "The temperature may be the lowest in the past 20 years, but Mumbai has witnessed more severe winters previously with temperatures going down to 13.2 C."

It was reported that due to the unusual November downpours, winter would be delayed. But IMD officials say that Mumbai doesn't have a fixed date for the onset of winter. "The rain did have an affect but not to that large an extent. The northerlies and the northwesterly are sending cold winds to the city." Furthermore, the spell of rain in Goa and the Konkan may add to the already cold weather."

Global cool
The wintry wave in Europe has gripped the northern part of France, with Paris experiencing the worst snowfall since 1987. Major roads became impassable as freezing overnight temperatures turned 11 cm of snow into thick ice. Sharma says that the winter in Europe will have a minimal impact on India.

And in Delhi...
The temperature dropped to 6.2 C (minimum) while the maximum was 21.3 C. The IMD forecasts mist in the morning throughout December. The lowest temperature recorded in December was 1.9 C.