Rain brings sharp dip in Gurugram temp; IMD issues yellow alert

Gurugram recorded a maximum temperature of 28°C on Monday, nearly 6°C lower than Sunday, marking one of the sharpest dips of the season.

The district experienced a sudden shift in weather on Monday after unexpected rain showers brought a noticeable drop in temperature and some relief from dust and heat, officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for October 7, cautioning residents to expect light to moderate rain, accompanied by cool, breezy conditions and the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning, and hail in parts of Haryana.

Dark clouds hover over the skyline during light drizzling at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector-38, near Rajiv Chowk, in Gurugram on Monday. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Gurugram recorded a maximum temperature of 28°C on Monday, nearly 6°C lower than Sunday, marking one of the sharpest dips of the season. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 21°C, while the city logged 2 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, IMD officials said. The air quality index (AQI) stood at 104 (moderate), a significant improvement from Sunday’s 142 (moderate) reading, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) daily national bulletin, which is expected to improve after the rain, officials said.

Farmers in rural Gurugram and Nuh reported minor crop losses as their harvested produce was stored in the open, officials said.

Surender Paul, director of IMD Chandigarh, said the current spell of rain is likely to continue until October 7 before subsiding. “The rainfall is a result of an active western disturbance interacting with a cyclonic circulation and moisture-laden easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal,” he said. These combined factors have triggered widespread rain across Delhi-NCR and southern Haryana, he added.

The Capital, too, woke up to a grey and wet Monday as the first strong western disturbance of the post-monsoon season swept through northwest India, bringing light rain and a sharp drop in temperature across Delhi.

According to the IMD, Delhi’s maximum temperature settled at 26.5°C, eight degrees below normal for this time of the year — the lowest October maximum since 26.2°C recorded on October 17, 2023. The minimum temperature was 20.6°C, two notches below normal, and may dip below 20°C from Wednesday as cold northwesterly winds reach the plains.

IMD data showed Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station, recorded 10.3 mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 8:30 am Monday, followed by another 3.4 mm in the next nine hours.

“This was the first intense western disturbance of the post-monsoon period… Had the easterly interaction been stronger, we would have seen heavier rain and hailstorms,” said Krishna Kumar Mishra, senior scientist at IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre in Delhi. He added that light rain will continue on Tuesday, with “very light to light spells overnight.”

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said, “Overcast skies brought coolness, with the impact of snowfall expected from Wednesday. Day-time temperature will increase from Wednesday but night-time temperature will dip.”

The western disturbance also brought fresh snowfall in the upper Himalayas, with minimum temperatures expected to fall further across north India in the coming days.

(With inputs from Jasjeev Gandhiok)