NEW DELHI: October recorded the warmest nights in the last 50 years and the month was the third warmest in terms of average monthly maximum and mean temperature during the same period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
The temperature in November is likely to be near normal over the whole country except Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Orissa and Chhattisgarh where it is likely to be warmer than normal by 0.5 degree Celsius to 1 degree Celsius, the IMD said.
October and November usually witness formation of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. Three cyclonic circulations formed in October, but none intensified into a cyclone. Data since 1980 shows October in 2020 was one of the 14 years that did not see formation of a cyclone.
The country also received 3 per cent more rainfall in October. However, the cyclonic circulations brought 44 per cent more rainfall over central India and 8 per cent over the southern peninsula.
North India recorded 94 per cent more deficiency while it was minus 8 per cent in east and northeast India.
The month of October 2020 saw the warmest night temperature in record since 1971 (i.e. in last 50-years) and was 3rd warmest, in terms of average monthly maximum and mean temperature since 1971 for October month, with 2015 as the warmest followed by 2017 for the month, the IMD said in its report for the October month.
However, Delhi, Haryana and parts of Punjab witnessed colder temperatures.
Temperature records over New Delhi (Safdarjung) for the month of Oct 2020 and comparison with data since 1951 shows that it recorded lowest monthly mean minimum temperature (MMT) during October 2020 (17.2 degrees Celsius) after October 1962 (16.9 degrees Celsius), the IMD said.
In November, the season averaged maximum temperatures are likely to be near normal (departure from normal between -0.5 degree and 0.5 degree Celsius) over the whole country except Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Orissa and Chhattisgarh where it is likely to be warmer than normal by 0.5 degree Celsius to a degree Celsius, the weather department said.
The season averaged minimum temperatures are likely to be warmer than normal by 0.5 degree Celsius to 1 degree Celsius over the whole country except Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Uttarakhand, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and west Rajasthan where it is likely to be near normal (departure from normal between -0.5 degree Celsius and 0.5 degree Celsius), the IMD said.

Press Trust of India