The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Wednesday that December 2023 has set a remarkable record as the warmest December, particularly in terms of average minimum temperatures, since the year 1901.
The term "minimum temperature" pertains to the temperature during the night and morning hours. Furthermore, when both the minimum and maximum temperatures are considered to calculate the 'average temperature' or 'average mean,' December of 2023 emerged as the hottest in 122 years.
Based on the minimum temperature parameter, December 2023 stands out as the hottest in history, with the average minimum temperature registering 1.71 degrees Celsius higher than the normal average. The IMD conveyed that the average mean temperature for December also attained historic levels, maintaining a 1.11-degree Celsius excess over the normal average.
It is noteworthy that December 2023 marked Delhi's warmest month in the past six years, with the city not experiencing a single 'cold wave day' throughout the month, as reported by the India Meteorological Department through the news agency PTI.
This development comes in the wake of the weather office's caution on Monday regarding the likelihood of coldwave conditions in central parts of the country during January, along with the forecast of dense fog days over portions of northwest and east India for the next three days.
During a press conference addressing the January forecast, IMD Director General Mrutynjay Mohapatra highlighted the expectation of normal rainfall in the January-February-March period, raising optimism for a favorable wheat crop during the rabi season. However, it was noted that south peninsular and northeast India might experience warmer days due to the anticipation of above-normal monthly maximum temperatures in January.
Additionally, the weather office mentioned the likelihood of cold-day to severe cold-day conditions persisting over certain areas of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and north Rajasthan for the next two days, followed by a decrease thereafter.
