Showers, cold winds grip Noida; more rain in stock

The ongoing western disturbance will bring widespread rainfall and thunder activity to Delhi-NCR till October 7

Residents of Noida and Greater Noida woke up to cloudy skies and gusty winds on Monday as a fresh western disturbance began influencing the weather pattern across Delhi-National Capital Region.

While the rainfall would help cleanse the atmosphere of pollutants, “short-term dust and pollen disturbance may occur before the rain sets in, followed by a marked improvement in air quality by midweek”, said Skymet Weather’s vice president (meteorology and climate change) Mahesh Palawat. (Sunil Ghosh/HTPhoto)

The district recorded a maximum temperature of around 30 degree Celsius (°C) and a minimum of 22°C, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) while forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms, lightning and winds up to 40 kilometre per hour (kmph) on Tuesday (October 7).

According to the IMD’s extended outlook, high moisture inflow from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal will feed the system, leading to “heavy to very heavy precipitation” across northwest India, including Gautam Budh Nagar.

“The ongoing western disturbance will bring widespread rainfall and thunder activity to Delhi-NCR till October 7. After its passage, cold northwesterly winds from the hills will start blowing into the plains, causing a dip in night temperatures and adding a slight chill in the air, especially during mornings,” said Skymet Weather’s vice president (meteorology and climate change) Mahesh Palawat.

While the rainfall would help cleanse the atmosphere of pollutants, “short-term dust and pollen disturbance may occur before the rain sets in, followed by a marked improvement in air quality by midweek”, he added.

Residents welcomed the rain forecast as a respite from the late-September heat spell. “It’s been unusually humid for the past week. Some rain will cool things down,” said Prakash Kumar, a resident of Sector 77.

Another resident, Neha Bansal from Greater Noida West, said, “The stormy conditions do cause concern for traffic and power cuts, but it’s a relief to finally see some pre-winter showers. Hopefully, the air feels fresher after this spell.”

The IMD forecast suggests that skies will gradually clear from Wednesday onwards.

As per IMD, Gautam Budh Nagar will witness a gradual improvement in weather conditions after the current spell of rain.

From October 8 onwards, skies are expected to clear, turning partly cloudy before becoming mainly clear between October 9 and 11. Day temperatures will remain steady at 31–32°C, while minimum temperatures will dip slightly to 22–23°C, accompanied by humidity levels of 80% in the morning and around 60% in the evening.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality in Gautam Budh Nagar continued to improve for the third consecutive day. On Monday, the AQI stood at 166 in Greater Noida and 130 in Noida, both falling under the “moderate” category. This marks a steady recovery from October 4, when Greater Noida recorded 227 (poor) and Noida 158 (moderate), followed by 180 and 194, respectively, on October 5.