‘Heat in Gurugram likely to rise, temperature to touch 41°C by end of this week’

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted that the maximum temperature in Gurugram is likely to touch 41 degrees Celsius (°C) by the end of this week, as the temperatures continue to soar in the national capital region (NCR)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted that the maximum temperature in Gurugram is likely to touch 41 degrees Celsius (°C) by the end of this week, as the temperatures continue to soar in the national capital region (NCR).

Gurugram, India – March 21, 2022: A man takes an afternoon siesta at a park in Sector 38 in Gurugram, India, on Monday, March 21, 2022. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

According to the IMD’s weekly forecast, the maximum temperature is likely to increase by five degrees and hover around 41°C by Saturday, and the minimum temperature is likely to drop by two degrees and remain around 20°C by Sunday.

The city on Monday recorded a maximum temperature of 36.7°C, which was seven degrees above normal, and a minimum temperature of 22.8°C, which was nine degrees above normal. On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 37.8°C, which was eight degrees above normal — the highest so far this year — and a minimum temperature of 22.9°C.

“The temperature is likely to cross 40°C by the end of this week due to a prolonged dry spell in the plains. A heatwave alert has not been issued for the region so far, and dry weather is likely to prevail for the next four to five days. A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from March 23, due to which cloudy skies are likely over the plains, which impacts the night temperature, making it warmer,” said an official from the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh, a regional centre of IMD.

Meanwhile, Gurugram on Monday recorded the air quality index (AQI) in the “poor” category for the fourth consecutive day, with a reading of 223, according to the 4pm bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the weather bulletin issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQWEWS) for Delhi, the air quality of the NCR is likely to remain in the “poor” category on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the prominent pollutants being PM10 and dust. According to the bulletin, dust raising activities are likely over Gujarat and west Rajasthan, and transport of dust from these regions and local dust will also impact the air quality over the Indo-Gangetic plain over the next two to three days.

An AQI reading between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.