Chandigarh breathes easy, as IMD says no signs of smog yet

Even as smog has choked New Delhi and parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh continues to fare much better

Even as smog has choked New Delhi and parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh continues to fare much better. The weatherman attributes it to the favourable wind direction.

The air quality has remained moderate since Diwali night, when it had turned severe for a few hours. (HT Photo)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is below 200 (moderate) at the monitoring station in Sector 22 while it has dropped below 100 (satisfactory) at the station in Sector 25. The air quality has remained moderate since Diwali night, when it had turned severe (AQI above 400) for a few hours.

“Chandigarh is located at a unique place in the region, directly at the foothills of the Himalayas. With northwesterly winds blowing in the region, winds push all the pollutants away from the city,” said Manmohan Singh, director, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh.

The AQI also has a tendency to rise as temperature drops. In Chandigarh, the mercury is dropping by around a notch or two per week as winters draw closer, according to the weatherman. “The temperature is still too high for fog to set in; so smog also remains unlikely in Chandigarh,” said Singh.

Maximum temperature was recorded at 28.3°C on Sunday, going marginally up from Saturday’s 28°C. Meanwhile, minimum temperature remained unchanged at 10.5°C. In the next three days, maximum temperature is likely to come down to 27°C and minimum temperature might go up to 11°C.