At 28.6°C, Monday was hottest December day in Chandigarh in over 12 years

While the Western Disturbances will be active in the region on December 4 and 5, it is expected to bring rain and snow only to the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh, and clear weather will continue to prevail in Chandigarh

The city welcomed December warmly, with the maximum temperature reaching 28.6°C on Monday, making it the hottest December day in over 12 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

As per weather forecast, the temperature is likely to rise even further on Tuesday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

As per weather forecast, the temperature is likely to rise even further on Tuesday.

The maximum temperature climbed from 26.5°C on Sunday to 28.6°C on Monday, a warm 3.2 degrees above normal.

According to IMD, this is the highest temperature reading for a December day since at least 2012, as per readily available data.

Before this, the hottest day in the month was December 1 in 2014, with a maximum temperature of 28.2°C.

At 29.2°C, December 5, 1993, holds the distinction of being the hottest ever day in the month.

Cool Northwesterlies held up by Western Disturbances

Speaking about the rise, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, “There have been two back-to-back Western Disturbances (WD) in the city, with the second one set to start affecting the city around Wednesday. While rain is unlikely, the system has slowed down the Northwesterly winds, which blow in the region in the winter.”

Cold and dry in nature, these winds originate from central Asia, lowering temperatures in the winter. As the WD abates, the winds are likely to resume around December 6. But before then, due to clear sunny weather, the maximum temperature can even touch 29°C on Tuesday.

While the WD will be active in the region on December 4 and 5, it is expected to bring rain and snow only to the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh, and clear weather will continue to prevail in Chandigarh. Notably, there has been no rain in the city through October and November.

Post December 5, Paul shared, the Northwesterly winds were expected to go up to 10-15 km/h, and a sudden cooling effect can be expected.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature saw a slight change — from 9.9°C on Sunday to 9.7°C on Monday, 1 degree below normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 27°C and 29°C, and the minimum temperature between 9°C and 10°C.

Amid slowed down wind speeds, the city’s air quality continued to remain poor for the third straight day. The AQI was 201, as per the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board on Monday.

Cozy winter ahead

IMD has also issued a long-range forecast, as per which, the region is expected to have a warm winter this year. The forecast, which uses probability models, has also predicted a high probability of above average maximum and minimum temperatures, and normal rain for the month of December. This trend is expected to continue through winter till February.