Chandigarh: Deficient rain in January to follow into February, says IMD
The low precipitation is expected to continue in February, which will cause the minimum and maximum temperatures to stay above normal, as per probability models
After deficient rain in January, February is also expected to receive below average rainfall, as per the long-range forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The city recorded 27.7 mm this past January, 26% less than the normal average of 37.6 mm, calculated over the past 20 years.
This trend is expected to continue in February, which will cause the minimum and maximum temperatures to stay above normal, as per probability models.
In comparison, 207.7 mm rain was recorded in January 2022, making it the wettest January of all time since the IMD observatory in Sector 39 started maintaining records in 1953. January 23, 2022, alone had clocked 45.9 mm rain, the highest in a single day that month.
Before this, the previous monthly record was set in January 1983 with 166.6 mm rain.
In 2023, at 13.8 mm rain, January 25 received the highest amount of rain on a single day.
As per IMD, the average maximum temperature in January was 17.1°C, while the highest average maximum temperature in the month over the past decade was 19.9°C in 2019.
The average minimum temperature in the month was 7.7°C. The lowest that the average minimum temperature has gone in the past decade was 6°C in 2013.
Speaking about why there was less rain in January, IMD Chandigarh director Manmohan Singh said, “Western Disturbances (WD) were less frequent in the beginning of the month, compared to the latter half. Rain in January is mostly dependent on WDs.”
He added that February was also expected to see less than normal number of WDs, leading to less precipitation.
Day temp rises
Meanwhile, the maximum temperature went up from 22.8°C on Wednesday to 23.6°C on Thursday, three degrees below normal. The minimum temperature also rose from 9°C to 9.2°C, two degrees above normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 23°C and 24°C, and the minimum temperature between 9°C and 10°C.
A feeble WD will make the sky partly cloudy on Friday, but the weather is likely to remain dry.