Delhi records its warmest February night in 74 years. Does it signal a long, scorching summer?

Despite the early onset of warm weather, a hot February does not necessarily indicate a long or scorching summer.

Delhi experienced its warmest February night in 74 years, with the minimum temperature at Safdarjung reaching 19.5°C on Thursday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this is the highest recorded minimum temperature for February between 1951 and 2025.

Winter has receded early this year. IMD officials attribute this temperature rise to the influence of an approaching western disturbance. IMD scientist Krishna Mishra explained that whenever a western disturbance impacts the region, minimum temperatures rise due to cloudy conditions, which restrict outgoing longwave radiation.

The IMD said that Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 19.5°C on February 27, 2025, the highest minimum temperature ever recorded for February at Safdarjung between 1951 and 2025. Data prior to 1951 is unavailable. According to IMD records, the previous highest minimum temperature for February was 19.0°C on February 25, 2015, followed by 18.6°C in 1973, 18.5°C on February 20, 2015, 18.2°C in 1992, and 18.0°C in 1988.

On Thursday, Delhi’s maximum temperature was 25°C, 1.1°C below normal, following a cloudy day. This came just a day after the city recorded its highest maximum temperature of the season at 32.4°C on Wednesday.

Does a warm February mean a scorching summer?

Despite the early onset of warm weather, a hot February does not necessarily indicate a long or scorching summer. According to the Times of India, IMD data shows no direct correlation between warm February temperatures and extreme summer conditions in North India.

For instance, in 2023, North India experienced record-breaking heat in February, making it the warmest since 1901, with maximum temperatures 3.5°C above average. However, April that year was cooler than normal, with average maximum temperatures nearly 1°C below the mean (1971–2024). In contrast, April 2022 was the hottest on record, while February remained close to normal.

Climate change's growing role

Climate change is increasingly influencing temperature patterns. The past few decades have been the warmest on record, increasing the probability of higher than-usual temperatures in any given month.

Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet Weather, said that due to cloudy skies and light drizzle, Delhi’s minimum temperature is expected to drop slightly from today and remain stable until March 3 or 4.