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Chandigarh: Day temperature climbs by 6 notches; more relief likely by weekend
The maximum temperature climbed from 13.5°C on Thursday to 19.5°C on Friday, which is 1.3 degrees above normal
The maximum temperature rose by six notches on Friday, going up to 19.5°C – the highest recorded so far this month. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it can further improve over the weekend as a feeble western disturbance is affecting the region.
The maximum temperature climbed from 13.5°C on Thursday to 19.5°C on Friday, which is 1.3 degrees above normal. Despite the rise, Chandigarh recorded a lower maximum temperature than Shimla, which logged 20°C.
IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said the earlier dominance of north-westerly winds has been replaced by moisture-laden easterly winds even as rainfall remains unlikely as the current western disturbance is weak. A stronger western disturbance is expected around January 22, which can lead to snowfall in the hills and rain in the city.
The minimum temperature also rose from 4.5°C on Thursday to 5.3°C on Friday, though it remained 2.1 degrees below normal. It is expected to increase further over the weekend due to partly cloudy conditions and the effect of the western disturbance. The cold wave spell seen over this week is likely to come to an end over the weekend.
Visibility dropped to 80 metres on Friday. While a yellow alert for dense fog will continue on Saturday, visibility is likely to improve from Sunday. Over the next three days, maximum temperatures are expected to range between 16°C and 18°C, while minimum temperatures may hover between 9°C and 10°C.
7 flights cancelled due to poor visibility
Dense fog disrupted air traffic at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on Friday, leading to the cancellation of seven flights till 8 pm. The cancellations included four arrivals and three departures. Departures to Jaipur, Delhi and Hyderabad were cancelled, while arrivals from Pune, Jaipur, Delhi and Bengaluru were affected.
Shatabdi, Vande Bharat hit by fog
Foggy conditions continued to disrupt train services on Friday, causing delays of one to three hours. The Unchahar Express was running two hours and 30 minutes late, arriving in Chandigarh on the second day after its departure from Prayagraj. The Kalka Shatabdi and Amb Andaura Vande Bharat arrived one hour and 22 minutes behind schedule. The evening Kalka Shatabdi was also running over an hour late at the time of filing the report.
Delhi-Kalka Express was delayed by 35 minutes, while the Netaji Express was running 39 minutes late. A Northern Railway official said poor visibility during morning and evening hours reduced train speeds, leading to delays. Scheduled delays are notified in advance, but there is little we can do regarding natural phenomena, added the official.
