Dense fog likely to return in Gurugram, rain expected on Sunday: IMD

Dense fog returned to the city on Thursday morning with the sky remaining overcast and strong winds blowing through the day

Dense fog returned to the city on Thursday morning with the sky remaining overcast and strong winds blowing through the day. Despite all that, the minimum temperature in the city rose by 0.8 degrees, compared to the previous day, and touched 11.7 degrees Celsius (°C) on Thursday. The maximum temperature was 15.8°C, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed.

Gurugram, India-January 26, 2023: Commuters seen on National Highway-48 wearing warm on a cold and foggy morning near Jharsa chowk flyover, in Gurugram, India, on Thursday, 26 January 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The weather department predicted that there could be rain in the city and parts of south Haryana on Sunday and Monday. The air quality index (AQI) in the city was in the “poor” category on Thursday with a reading of 260, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

The IMD in Delhi said a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect north-west India from Saturday onwards and it is likely to cause light to moderate rainfall over north-west India on January 29 and January 30.

The IMD in Chandigarh also issued a yellow alert for south Haryana and predicted cold wave conditions and “dense to very dense fog” in the region on Friday.

Manmohan Singh, director, IMD Chandigarh, said dense fog is likely to prevail in the city during the morning hours on Friday and Saturday. “The cloud cover is likely to remain and a fresh western disturbance is expected on Saturday and that could cause light to isolated rain on Sunday and also on Monday in parts of south Haryana including Gurugram,” he said.

Singh further said there could be a dip in minimum temperatures by three to five degrees till Saturday in Haryana and Punjab and Gurugram, after which the temperature will rise by few notices.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) in its forecast said air quality is likely to remain in the “poor” category on Friday in Delhi-NCR. It further said the air quality is likely enter the lower end of “very poor” category on Saturday. “The air quality is likely to remain in “moderate to poor” category. Strong winds and better ventilation conditions are likely to persist for the subsequent six days from January 30,” it said.