On a late October morning, Delhi woke under cloud and wet pavement, its air unexpectedly thin with cold for the season. The chill was not the calendar announcing winter but the leftovers of a storm that had swept inland from the Andhra coast, joined by a western disturbance crossing the northwest, a reminder that the weather arrives through the movement of distant systems rather than the turning of dates. Officials insist the cold is a visitor, not a resident, and that the warmth of early November will return to claim the city again.
Early chill in North India after rain, but IMD sees winter's arrival as not yet settled
The chill has a specific cause, and it is not the calendar.
On a late October morning, Delhi woke under cloud and wet pavement, its air unexpectedly thin with cold for the season. The chill was not the calendar announcing winter but the leftovers of a storm that had swept inland from the Andhra coast, joined by a western disturbance crossing the northwest, a reminder that the weather arrives through the movement of distant systems rather than the turning of dates. Officials insist the cold is a visitor, not a resident, and that the warmth of early November will return to claim the city again.
On Friday, October 30, Delhi woke to cloud, wet roads and a chill that had not been there a week earlier. The day before, the Safdarjung observatory had recorded a maximum of 25.4 degrees Celsius, nearly six degrees below what the date usually brings, and the coldest October afternoon the capital has seen since 2022.
The cause is weather, not the calendar. The remnants of Cyclone Arnab, having crossed the Andhra coast, weakened into a depression over central India, while a western disturbance settled over the northwest. Together they brought rain and gusty winds across many states, and Karnal and Patiala reported similarly cool afternoons.
The forecast offers reassurance. Showers linger briefly on October 31, then skies clear from November 1, and afternoons are expected to warm back toward 29 or 30 degrees. In Delhi and the north, light layers are worth keeping close, but heavy woollens can wait. The Himalayan states will need warmth sooner, and the east and south are more concerned with rain than cold.
The real test comes in the first week of November, when clearing skies will show whether this was a passing spell or the first breath of a longer winter.
On Friday, October 30, Delhi woke to cloud, wet roads and a chill that had not been there a week earlier. The day before, the Safdarjung observatory, the capital's base weather station, had logged a maximum of 25.4 degrees Celsius. That was 5.6 degrees below normal for the date and the lowest October daytime high in Delhi since October 8, 2022.
The cooler air has a specific cause, and it is not the calendar. The remnants of Cyclone Arnab, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on October 28, moved inland and weakened into a depression over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha. At the same time, a western disturbance has been affecting weather over parts of northwest India. Together the two systems have produced rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds across many states.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects fairly widespread rainfall over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh on October 29 and 30. Punjab is likely to see showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand can expect unsettled conditions. Other readings from the region showed similar cooling: Karnal in Haryana recorded a maximum of 20.6 degrees, while Patiala in Punjab reached 27.4 degrees.
The weather is not confined to the north. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and parts of Madhya Pradesh are expected to receive heavy rain, with very heavy downpours possible in some places. In the south, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and neighbouring areas are also due rain, though intensity and duration vary from state to state.
For Delhi, the IMD forecast for Friday is a maximum of 26 to 28 degrees and a minimum of 16 to 18 degrees. After that, the picture changes as the current system weakens. Isolated showers are forecast for October 31 across Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, with Punjab seeing isolated to scattered rain until the same day. Delhi's skies should turn partly cloudy on October 31 and mainly clear from November 1. Maximums could climb back to around 29 to 30 degrees in the first days of November, with minimums holding near 16 to 17 degrees.
That forecast shapes the practical advice. In Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, light winter clothing is worth keeping within reach, since mornings and evenings are noticeably cooler than afternoons. Heavy woollens, thick jackets and blankets are not yet needed for everyday use. Residents of the Himalayan states and other high-altitude areas may need warmer clothing sooner, because temperatures there fall faster than on the plains. In eastern, central and southern India, preparing for rain matters more than preparing for cold.
The IMD has not announced a single nationwide date for winter's start. Northern plains typically feel a more pronounced chill as temperatures slide through November and December, while southern India is still in the northeast monsoon season, which brings rain to several states. The department's October-December outlook had pointed to below-normal rainfall across most of the country, though some parts of northwest India could see normal or above-normal totals.
The short version is to keep a light jacket or sweater handy in the north and leave the summer clothes out for now. The next marker is the first week of November, when clearing skies and highs near 30 degrees in Delhi will show whether this was a passing spell or the start of something longer.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The IMD has not announced a single nationwide date for the beginning of winter; colder conditions will depend on regional temperatures and changing weather systems.— India Meteorological Department (as reported by The Economic Times)
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