E-Paper
Chandigarh: At 7.9°C, night temp drops to lowest in 8 years
At 7.2°C, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh was almost as cold as Chandigarh, while state capital Shimla was colder at 6.2°C
The city recorded its coldest November night in eight years as the minimum temperature fell from 8.3°C on Monday to 7.9°C on Tuesday, settling 3 degrees below normal.
This is the lowest minimum temperature since 7.5°C on November 24, 2017, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which has predicted a further drop in the coming days.
At 7.2°C, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh was almost as cold as Chandigarh, while state capital Shimla was colder at 6.2°C.
Explaining the drop in temperature, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul said, “Cool north-westerly winds are blowing in the region, leading to colder nights. These winds will remain active in the coming days also, bringing the temperature further down as the city heads towards December.”
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature also fell from 25.5°C on Monday to 24.9°C on Tuesday, 1 degree below normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain in the same ballpark, but the minimum temperature may drop further.
No impact of volcano ash
As a thick cloud of ash from the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption in Ethiopia passed over north Indian states on Tuesday, visibility in Chandigarh remained mostly unaffected.
Even the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained moderate at 140, according to the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Paul said high-level winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman and further over the Arabian Sea towards western and northern India.
While the volcano ash did not impact the city’s air, Paul said the falling temperature can worsen the air quality, as colder air traps pollutants.
