Winter onset delayed in Chandigarh, says IMD
Speaking about Chandigarh, director general of meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said currently there was a low pressure area and a weak Western Disturbance (WD) that were leading to high humidity and above normal minimum temperature
Almost two weeks into November, the temperatures in Chandigarh are still on the higher side, reflecting a delayed onset of winter, said director general of meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday.
He was at Panjab University (PU) for an event to celebrate 150 years of India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Speaking about Chandigarh, he said currently there was a low pressure area and a weak Western Disturbance (WD) that were leading to high humidity and above normal minimum temperature.
“While there is no chance of rain, the two systems have stopped cold north-westerly winds from blowing further, delaying the onset of winter. In October, there were two deep depressions, one cyclone and one low pressure area, all of which favoured easterly winds over north-westerly winds. Easterlies originate from the Bay of Bengal and are warmer and more humid,” he explained.
Mohapatra added that the system will abate in a few days and by the end of the week, north-westerly winds were again likely to take over, but a dramatic drop in temperatures cannot be expected.
IMD will issue a seasonal forecast for what to expect in the winters towards the end of the month.
While nights continue to remain warm, the day temperature is continuing to drop, going down from 29.6°C on Sunday to 28.3°C on Monday, normal for this time of the year. This can also be attributed to the smog visible in the city during the day and due to cloudy weather following the effect of WD.
The minimum temperature also fell from 17.6°C to 17.4°C, still 4.1 degrees above normal. Over the next three days, highs and lows of 29°C and 16°C, respectively, are likely.
IMD is meanwhile likely to get more automatic weather stations (AWS) in the city, following discussions with Mohapatra. He has asked IMD officials to do a survey of the city to see which further places can be used to set up the stations.
AWS are not the most accurate, thus IMD considers the readings taken at their own observatory in Sector 39 or at the airport. IMD also has an AWS in Sector 39 and one in Sector 7, while there are two separate AWS for Mohali and Panchkula. However, setting up a new AWS station presents a challenge in Chandigarh, where not much land is available. Even in Sector 7, it has been set up on the premises of KBDAV School, even as IMD prefers to construct such stations in open spaces with little risk of any interference in readings.