The 11.5mm rain on Thursday caused the maximum temperature to drop to 12.8°C, 8.1 degrees below normal, making it the coldest February day in over 11 years.
According to the data immediately available with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), since 2011, the day temperature in Chandigarh had never dropped below 14.4°C, as recorded in 2014.
Speaking about this, IMD Chandigarh director Manmohan Singh said, “It kept raining throughout the day and there was no sunlight, so the temperature couldn’t rise. Even before Thursday, the city witnessed dense fog for two days, leading to low temperature.”
While city residents struggled with the inclement weather, those in Kasauli welcomed the first snow spell of the year.
According to IMD Shimla director Surender Paul, the department did not have records of the last time it snowed here, but this level of precipitation was uncommon in the hill town.
Wettest February day since 2019
The rain in Chandigarh on Thursday was also the highest on a February day since 2019 when 39.8mm rain was recorded on February 8.
{{/usCountry}}The rain in Chandigarh on Thursday was also the highest on a February day since 2019 when 39.8mm rain was recorded on February 8.
{{/usCountry}}In 2021, the city had received 10mm rain in the same month and just 0.9mm in the year before that.
While the current rain spell is likely to cease by Friday afternoon, according to IMD, another western disturbance is likely to affect the region soon and will cause rain on Sunday and Monday.
Before this, dense fog is expected in the mornings and evenings.
Meanwhile, the city’s minimum temperature went up from 7°C on Wednesday to 11.4°C on Thursday, 4.6 degrees above normal, due to cloudy weather at night.
Over the next three days, the day temperature will remain around 12°C and the night temperature between 9°C and 11°C.
Air quality worsens
Despite the rainfall, city’s air quality index (AQI) turned “very poor” at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations in Sectors 22 and 53 on Thursday morning.
It shot up to 325 and 338 in Sectors 22 and 53, respectively, around noon, before decreasing to 256 and 265 (both poor), respectively, around 6pm.
“The air quality worsened due to the dense fog over the past few days and the low temperature. Once the weather improves on Friday, the AQI will also get better,” said Debendra Dalai, member secretary, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee.