Chandigarh: Paused monsoon makes way for azure skies, breathable air

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this sunny spell is expected to last until the weekend, with the monsoon system set to regain momentum around Sunday, bringing along heavy rain again

After a string of heavy rain days, sunlight beamed bright over Chandigarh for the second consecutive day on Thursday, bringing a welcome break from monsoon woes.

While the sun has been beaming bright over the tricity in the absence of rains, monsoon is expected to pick up pace again from Sunday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this sunny spell is expected to last until the weekend, with the monsoon system set to regain momentum around Sunday, bringing along heavy rain again.

The dry conditions have not only offered a break from the rain troubles, but also resulted in a significant improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI).

As of 9 pm on Wednesday, AQI levels at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) were 42 in Sector 22, 64 in Sector 25 and 49 in Sector 53 — all falling in the “good” range (0-50), posing minimal health risks.

An AQI between 51-100 is considered satisfactory and can cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive individuals.

The clear skies caused the maximum temperature to jump from 29.9°C on Tuesday to 36.4°C on Wednesday. But it dipped slightly to 34.7°C on Thursday, normal for this time of the year.

The minimum temperature remained steady at 24.8°C on Tuesday and Wednesday, before rising to 27.8°C on Thursday, which is still within normal range.