- Delhi is experiencing unusually warm February temperatures, reaching 31.6°C on February 16
- Clear skies and weak western disturbances are driving above-normal temperatures in Delhi
- February 2026 highs range 29-32°C, well above the typical 24-25°C daytime benchmark
Delhi is set to end February on an unusually warm note, with maximum temperatures running well above seasonal norms and winter retreating weeks early. Through mid-month, day temperatures in the Capital repeatedly stayed several degrees above the long-period average, including a sharp spike to 31.6 Degree Celsius on February 16 at Safdarjung-the city's base station-about 7.2 Degree Celcius above normal and the earliest breach of 30 Degree Celsius in five years. Forecasts around mid-month suggested only brief relief from a weak western disturbance before the warming trend resumed.
By February 20, IMD's local bulletin for Delhi was still flagging "appreciably above normal" maximum temperatures and predominantly clear skies through the week, conditions that help daytime heating persist. Capital reports since then have indicated 29-30 Degree Celsius highs with the potential to climb again.
Delhi's all-time February high is 34.1 Degree Celsius (Feb 26, 2006), with recent high marks of 33.6 Degree Celsius (Feb 21, 2023) and 32.4 Degree Celsius (Feb 26, 2025). Whether 2026 sets a new city record depends on late-month spikes; as of now, 31.6 Degree Celsius is the month's peak.
Why is February So Warm this Year?
Meteorologists point to a familiar trio: clear skies, low moisture, and a lack of active western disturbances. IMD scientist Krishna Mishra said that maximum temperatures have been staying 3 Degree Celsius to 6 Degree Celsius above normal because no strong western disturbance has impacted the region this month, adding that any slight dip around February 17-18 was temporary as the mercury was "likely to rise again from February 19."
Weather expert Mahesh Palawat of Skymet echoed this, telling Hindustan Times that Delhi's early spike past 31 Degree Celsius is a result of "clear skies, bright sunshine and no moisture to induce cloudiness," and even the incoming disturbance is "too weak to cool the region." Together, the experts warn that the capital's February heat is abnormally high and is expected to persist through the end of the month.
IMD's Delhi forecast bulletin on February 20 likewise highlighted mainly clear conditions and above-normal temperatures for several days, consistent with the warm spell and its quick resumption after a brief, light-rain interlude on February 18.
How February 2026 Has Unfolded So Far
After starting with a mean temperature of 18.35 Degree Celsius on February 1, which was already about 3 Degree Celsius warmer than normal, the city experienced only brief dips, such as on February 2, when the mean fell to 13.95 Degree Celsius, slightly below the climatological benchmark. From there, temperatures climbed steadily, with several days showing mean values 2-4 Degree Celsius above normal. On February 16, the maximum temperature in Delhi hit 31.6 Degree Celsius, with a short-lived cooldown brought in by light rain and gusty winds around February 18, followed by another steady rise in heat under clear skies. Station readings across Safdarjung, Palam, Ridge, Lodhi Road and Ayanagar all ran well above normal during the warmest days, underscoring how widespread the anomaly was across the city.
As of the third week, IMD's city sheet shows February climatology that makes 24-25 Degree Celsius a typical daytime benchmark, which puts this February's 29-32 Degree Celsius peaks into sharp relief. Forecasters and city reports warned that late-month highs could again test the 30-33 Degree Celsius range if skies remained clear and westerlies stayed weak.
Not Just Delhi: An India-Wide February Heat Pulse
This is not an isolated Delhi story. A Down To Earth analysis of 36 cities found that in the first 15 days of February 2026, 27 cities had above-normal daytime temperatures; night-time minima were elevated across 20 states. Cities such as Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Guwahati, Imphal and Raipur stayed above normal every single day during that period, indicating widespread and persistent warmth.(February Heatwave: Indian Cities Experience Unseasonal Warmth, Impacting Agriculture)
Forecasts and independent trackers through the second half of the month have continued to flag abnormally warm conditions across North, West and parts of Central and Northeast India, with forecasters cautioning that late-February maxima could touch 33 Degree Celsius in Delhi-NCR and 35-37 Degree Celsius in parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh-levels normally seen only by mid-March.
Last year set a stark national baseline. February 2025 was India's warmest February since 1901, with the IMD reporting a mean temperature anomaly of about +1.34 to +1.36 Degree Celsius, and record-high nighttime minima-reflecting how warm the "winter core" months have become (mausam.imd.gov.in). IMD's year-end assessment further shows 2025 as India's 8th warmest year on record, with winter (Jan-Feb) at +1.17 Degree Celsius above the long-term average and 2016-2025 emerging as the warmest decade.
While Delhi's February 2026 is tracking unusually warm and could approach high late-month marks, it's premature to declare a new national record without IMD's official monthly statement. The present pattern, however, is consistent with the recent run of warmer, drier winters punctuated by weak western disturbances.
A Deeper Climate Signal, With Local Triggers
The structural warming of India's winters is now well-documented by IMD:10 of the 15 warmest years nationwide have occurred since 2011, and 2024 was the warmest year on record for India. Warmer background conditions amplify the effect of any local weather gaps (like absent western disturbances), turning routine dry spells into abnormally hot ones, even in February.
The annual mean temperature anomaly series from 2000 to 2025 further reinforces this long-term warming signal. While the early 2000s saw a mix of slightly positive and negative anomalies, indicating relatively stable temperatures near the long-term average, the pattern shifts dramatically after 2009. Years like 2009 (+0.40 Degree Celsius) and 2010 (+0.39 Degree Celsius) marked the beginning of a persistent upward phase. Post-2015, positive anomalies dominate almost every year, with particularly strong warming recorded in 2016 (+0.54 Degree Celsius), 2023 (+0.37 Degree Celsius) and the record-breaking 2024 (+0.65 Degree Celsius). Although 2025 shows a slightly lower but still elevated anomaly of +0.28 Degree Celsius, it remains well above the early-2000s baseline.
In Delhi, this translates to earlier "pre-summer" conditions, higher demand for cooling, and stress on air quality, which also trended in the 'poor' category during the mid-February spike. For agriculture in North and Central India, experts warn that early heat can accelerate crop maturation and reduce yields, a risk IMD flagged when 2025's February broke records.
