Weather tracker: An unusually chilly start to May in India and US

Record minimum temperatures observed in northern India, as clashing conditions bring thunderstorms in US

It has been a historically chilly start to May in India, thanks to an unusually strong low pressure system that moved in from the west, sweeping humid air from the Arabian sea across the Indian subcontinent. The resulting overcast skies reduced the heating effect from the sun, which combined with the brisk winds and abnormally high rainfall to lower temperatures significantly.

May is considered the final month of the Indian summer, before the monsoon season begins in June, and is the hottest time of the year for many parts of India. However, in the past week large parts of the country have been about 10C colder than normal, with many weather stations in northern India observing record minimum temperatures for the month.