Snowfall in Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh to bring down temperature in Delhi

The maximum temperature in Delhi was 19.2 degree Celsius on Saturday, four degrees below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 9.7 degree Celsius, a notch above normal.

New Delhi: Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir will bring cold winds to the national capital, forcing temperatures to drop in the coming days, weather scientists said on Saturday.

Labourers warm themselves around a bonfire on a cold winter morning in New Delhi, India, on Friday, December 13, 2019 (Vipin Kumar /HT PHOTO)

The maximum temperature in Delhi was 19.2 degree Celsius on Saturday, four degrees below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 9.7 degree Celsius, a notch above normal. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast said the minimum temperature is expected to fall to about 7 degrees in the next two days.

“A western disturbance has just passed and we are now getting north-westerly winds from J&K and Himachal Pradesh, where heavy snowfall has been reported. The cold air from these regions will keep the temperature low,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.

Strong winds on Saturday also helped keep pollution in check. The overall air quality index (AQI) recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Delhi was 163, in the ‘moderate’ zone. On Friday, the air quality was recorded 240, in the ‘poor’ category.

A senior scientist at IMD, however, said the winds started slowing down on Saturday, and will likely lead to a worsening of air quality on Sunday. But experts added that wind speeds would pick up from Monday.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research’s (Safar), forecast said two days of widespread rainfall in Delhi and surroundings led to significant improvement in Delhi contributed through ‘wet deposition process’ (settling down of pollutants after rain).

“AQI is forecasted to deteriorate marginally towards the poor category by tomorrow (Sunday). On December 17, AQI may marginally deteriorate to the lower end of very poor category,” the forecast read.