Delhi’s 21°C September low matches Sunday’s rare chill
Delhi’s late-September chill returned on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, when the Safdarjung weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 21°C. It matched the reading on Sunday, September 27, which had drawn attention as the station’s lowest September minimum in 18 years.
The figure is a daily minimum—the lowest temperature measured during the overnight and morning observation period—not an average for the day or the month. Safdarjung’s Tuesday reading was 2.3°C below the normal minimum for September 29, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. The station had recorded 23°C on Monday, so the two 21°C readings were separated by a warmer morning.
How unusual was the reading?
The closest lower September minimum at Safdarjung since 2001 was 20.8°C on September 6, 2008, according to an IMD weather scientist. The station recorded 21.1°C on September 19, 2024. That makes this year’s 21°C readings notable in the recent record, but not an all-time September low.
The distinction matters when describing the record. IMD’s historical extremes table lists Safdarjung’s all-time September minimum as 17.3°C, recorded on September 26, 1964. A 20.6°C September minimum was also recorded in 2000. The accurate recent comparison is therefore that 21°C is the lowest September minimum since 2008, rather than the coldest September reading the city has ever had.
Nor was 21°C the lowest temperature everywhere in Delhi. On Tuesday, the Ridge station recorded 16.9°C, Palam 19.7°C, Lodhi Road 20.4°C and Ayanagar 20.6°C. These stations measure conditions at different locations; the Safdarjung reading is used for the main city comparison. Calling it “Delhi’s 21°C minimum” is shorthand for the reading at that reference station, not a claim that every neighbourhood reached the same temperature.
What brought the cooler mornings?
IMD officials linked the spell to rain, cloud cover and winds associated with a low-pressure system over Uttar Pradesh and a western disturbance affecting north India. Rain reached parts of Delhi over the weekend, while widespread wet weather in the surrounding region helped bring temperatures down. An IMD weather scientist also pointed to cool north and northeasterly winds and extensive rain across neighbouring areas.
The sequence at Safdarjung shows the change clearly. The minimum was 23.2°C on Saturday, September 26, fell to 21°C on Sunday, rose to 23°C on Monday and returned to 21°C on Tuesday. Sunday’s maximum was 30.6°C, below the seasonal norm. Together, the lower daytime temperature and cool mornings made the brief spell feel different from the warmer conditions Delhi had experienced earlier in the month.
For residents planning the next few days, the forecast points away from a sustained cold spell. IMD’s Safdarjung forecast called for mainly clear skies on Wednesday, September 30, with a minimum near 23°C and a maximum near 33°C. It projected about 24°C and 34°C on Thursday, October 1. Forecasts can change, but those figures indicate a return to warmer afternoons rather than steadily falling temperatures.
Weather is not a climate trend
A rare cool morning is a weather event. It does not, by itself, establish that Delhi’s Septembers are getting colder, just as one unusually hot afternoon would not measure a long-term warming trend. Assessing climate requires comparing many observations across years, including monthly or seasonal averages and the frequency of extreme days.
The immediate story is narrower and well defined: Safdarjung reached 21°C twice in three days, matching the lowest September minimum there since 2008, amid a short-lived period of rain and regional cooling. The forecast for clearer skies and rising temperatures is another reason not to mistake those individual readings for the start of winter or a verdict on Delhi’s long-term climate.
