It is December and after the winter solstice, the northern hemisphere does expect low temperatures. But the average temperature has been falling quite rapidly. Srinagar, for instance, recorded -6 degrees as the lowest night temperature last week. It is 4.5 degrees lower than the average temperature at this time.
Delhi also experienced the cold spell, recording a night temperature of 3 degree Celsius. In the previous week, the average maximum temperature (the highest temperature recorded during the day) remained below average for 5 out of the 7 days. The minimum temperature (the lowest temperature recorded during the day) also remained lower than the average for 5 out of 7 days and matched the average temperature on one day.
This means that Delhi is also experiencing more cold than it usually does.
Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, which are in the tropical region (since the Tropic of Cancer passes through India, India experiences two climatic zones – the Tropical region up to the Tropic of Cancer and the Temperate zone above that), also have a yellow warning for low temperatures.
As you can see in the maps below (the figures above the scale are for actual temperatures and the figures below the scales are for how much this varies from the average temperature), you can see that the variation is highest in the Odisha region. Parts of North East are actually displaying slightly above average temperature.
What are some of the other deductions you can make from this map? Do share your answers in the comments below (All comments are moderated, so your comment may not appear immediately. But it has been recorded and will appear :))