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Clouds to make way for sun in Chandigarh
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is uncertainty over how long the sunny spell will last, as a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) is expected to affect the region around February 25.
After two days of cloudy and rainy weather, sunny skies will prevail in the coming days.
However, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is uncertainty over how long the sunny spell will last, as a fresh Western Disturbance (WD) is expected to affect the region around February 25.
IMD Chandigarh director AK Singh said, “It is a bit too soon to predict whether this WD will be active and cause rain.”
Even the current WD didn’t affect the city much and only 0.1 mm rain was recorded in the city on the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday.
In comparison, 10.2 mm rain was recorded at the airport, while some parts of Zirakpur and Panchkula also received hail.
Speaking about this, Singh added, “This WD was more active in the northern parts of the region, also leading to snow in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. In Chandigarh, the maximum effect was in the form of gusty winds up to 50km/h on Monday.”
Night temp dives to 11°C
The cloudy weather also caused the minimum temperature to rise to 16.7°C on Tuesday, highest since November.
While the weather was still partly cloudy on Wednesday, the minimum temperature dropped to 11°C, 1.1 degrees below normal. As per Singh, the minimum temperature can slide further in the coming days as the skies clear up, leading to colder nights, although possibly for the last time this winter season.
The maximum temperature also recorded a slight dip, from 24.6°C on Tuesday to 23.1°C on Wednesday, 1.2 degrees below normal. As per Singh, it is likely to change on a day-to-day basis for now, but will increase gradually towards the end of the month.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain around 22°C and the minimum temperature around 10°C.
Air quality remains poor
Despite light rain that was expected to clear the air, city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the poor category (201-300) on Wednesday.
At 7 pm, the average AQI was 244 at the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Sector 22, followed by 223 at the Sector 53 CAAQMS and 222 at the Sector 22 CAAQMS, all in the poor category. In Panchkula, it was 124, which is considered moderate (101-200).
An AQI between 201-300 causes breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure. Between 101-200, it causes breathing discomfort to people with lung and heart diseases.
