Gurugram The minimum temperature in the city on Friday dropped to 5 degrees Celsius — the lowest in the National Capital Region (NCR). The minimum temperature on Friday was around three degrees Celsius lower than that of Thursday and was five degrees Celsius below the normal for this time of the year, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
A similar minimum temperature is expected on Saturday and Sunday, before a change in the direction of the wind causes it to rise to around 9 degrees Celsius, said experts.
The minimum temperature in the city over the last week has remained ‘normal’, as per the definition, averaging around 10 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature on Friday increased by around a degree, to 16 degrees Celsius, as per the IMD. Meteorologists said that icy winds from the mountains will lead to low maximum temperatures in the region for the last two to three days. However, the maximum temperature on Saturday could rise by another degree Celsius, and be around 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday, an IMD spokesperson said.
Moderate fog is expected on Saturday and Sunday morning, IMD officials said.
After the city was hit by light to moderate showers from late Tuesday to Wednesday this week, with the intensity of the rain increasing at intervals, another spell of thundershowers has been predicted by the MeT department between January 13 and 15.
{{/usCountry}}After the city was hit by light to moderate showers from late Tuesday to Wednesday this week, with the intensity of the rain increasing at intervals, another spell of thundershowers has been predicted by the MeT department between January 13 and 15.
{{/usCountry}}“Another western disturbance is expected to approach the western Himalayas around the Saturday night, causing rainfall in the northern plains around Monday. The wind direction would change as a result and cause the minimum temperature to rise,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, a senior scientist with the IMD.
He said that once the effect of the western disturbances diminishes, around January 15, icy winds could prevail and temperatures would drop again for a few days.
Srivastava also said that back-to-back western disturbances are likely this month, leading to an unusually warmer January.
Meanwhile, the city continued to record ‘moderate’ air quality on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) air quality index (AQI) for the fourth straight day on Friday, with a reading of 139, as per the bulletin. Thursday’s AQI was recorded at 124.
Experts said that good wind speeds (averaging 12 kilometres per hour) and a mostly clear sky helped air quality remain stable in the ‘moderate’ category. The air quality is expected to maintain the status quo over the weekend, and could improve due to the rain, as per the CPCB.