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Chandigarh records hottest October day in 13 years
Chandigarh recorded the all-time high for the month at 37.2°C on October 4, 1992, according to data available with the IMD
With maximum temperature touching 36.5°C, nearly four notches above normal, Tuesday was the hottest October day in at least 13 years in Chandigarh, according to data available with the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The all-time high for the month was recorded at 37.2°C nearly three decades back, on October 4, 1992.
“An anticyclonic movement has developed over Rajasthan and Gujarat, which is sending dry and warm southwesterly winds towards this region, leading to a rise in mercury,” said Manmohan Singh, director, IMD, Chandigarh, adding that the temperature is likely to stay on the higher side in the coming days as well.
“This situation will continue for the next two to three days, and the mercury could rise up to 38°C. However, the anticyclonic movement is shifting eastward. Northwesterly winds, which are colder, will again become dominant in the region and lead to a drop in mercury,” he said.
Meanwhile, minimum temperature continued to fall, dropping to 20.6°C on Tuesday. Though three notches above normal, it was the lowest recorded since May 30 and is likely to remain around 20-21°C in the next three days too.
Air quality turns poor
The air quality, too, took a turn for the worse on Tuesday.
The air quality index (AQI) went up to 272 around 1pm at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station in Sector 22, which has been made operational recently. The AQI remained 200 till 2pm before gradually falling to 156 around 6pm.
Meanwhile, the air was much cleaner at the monitoring station in Sector 25, where the AQI was recorded at 94 around the same time.
AQI in the range of 201-300 is considered poor, and denotes that the polluted air can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. Usually, it stays below 150 during this time of the year, and rises due to the burning of paddy stubble in the region.
Debendra Dalai, member secretary of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee, said the AQI is expected to go higher in the coming days. “After the monsoon system, an anticyclonic movement forms over the area, which keeps pollutants from getting dispersed from the air,” he said.
