Rain predicted, mercury set to drop

Over the next four days, the maximum temperature in Gurugram is likely to be between 30-34°C, while the minimum temperature is likely to be around 27°C

Mercury levels in the city are set to drop by up to five degrees Celsius (°C) over the weekend, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting rainfall after a gap of almost two weeks. A “yellow alert” was also issued for the district.

Gurugram has received excessive rainfall this year. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

On Thursday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 37.4°C, which was four degrees above the normal, and a minimum temperature of 25.7°C. The humidity level at the end of the day was recorded at 89%.

Over the next four days, the maximum temperature in Gurugram is likely to be between 30-34°C, while the minimum temperature is likely to be around 27°C.

A weather warning bulletin issued by the IMD’s meteorological centre in Chandigarh predicted “heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning, squall” in Gurugram till Sunday.

According to the weekly forecast of IMD, one or two spells of rain or thundershowers are likely in the city from August 20 to 23. “Till now, Delhi-NCR was experiencing a break from monsoon, but now with south-easterly winds, the moisture content in the atmosphere is high and good rain is expected over the next few days. Due to this, the temperature is also likely to drop by up to five degrees by Saturday,” a senior IMD official said.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the city has been in the moderate zone of the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily air quality bulletin over the past three days. On Thursday, the city had an air quality index of 188, with PM 2.5 the prominent pollutant.

The air quality in Delhi-NCR is likely to remain largely in the satisfactory category till Tuesday, according to a bulletin issued by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi on Thursday.