Rain brings sharp day chill, but fails to clean air in NCR

The sudden change in weather has been attributed to continuous snowfall in North Indian hill states

Noida A fresh spell of rain and thunderstorms, driven by an active western disturbance, brought colder conditions to Gautam Budh Nagar on Tuesday, disrupting daily life and slowing traffic across the National Capital Region.

In Ghaziabad, the minimum temperature settled at 9.3°C, while maximum temperature data was unavailable at the time of reporting. Cloudy conditions persisted with high humidity levels throughout the day. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The sudden change in weather has been attributed to continuous snowfall in North Indian hill states, which pushed cold winds into the plains, making mornings and late nights noticeably colder. Steady rainfall on Tuesday morning intensified the chill, while slippery roads slowed traffic movement and added to commuter difficulties across the city.

Gautam Budh Nagar recorded a minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department. The maximum temperature was not recorded till the evening update. The district remained under cloudy conditions through the day, with the weather office issuing a warning for thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 km/h.

In Ghaziabad, the minimum temperature settled at 9.3°C, while maximum temperature data was unavailable at the time of reporting. Cloudy conditions persisted with high humidity levels throughout the day. The IMD has predicted fog or mist during early morning hours over the next couple of days. Day temperatures are expected to range between 18 and 19°C , while night temperatures may hover between 7 and 8°C , with humidity likely to remain high.

Despite rainfall and gusty winds, air quality levels showed little improvement. Pollution worsened from the “moderate” to “very poor” category, continuing to pose health concerns, particularly for children and the elderly. As per Central Pollution Control Board data, Noida recorded an AQI of 331 (“very poor”) on Tuesday, compared to 219 in the poor category on Monday and 120 in the moderate category on Sunday. Greater Noida’s AQI stood at 304 (“very poor”), against 226 on Monday and 155 on Sunday. In Ghaziabad, the AQI was recorded at 376 (“very poor”) on Tuesday, compared to 302 on Monday and 173 on Sunday.

Weather experts said the conditions are linked to an active western disturbance affecting northwest India. “A fresh western disturbance is influencing weather patterns across Delhi-NCR and adjoining states. Rain and thunderstorms are likely to continue intermittently, with isolated hailstorm activity reported in parts of Rajasthan,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Climate and Meteorology, Skymet Weather, adding that cloud cover has already begun affecting temperature trends.

He said rainfall activity is expected to spread further across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. “With increased cloud cover, temperatures may fluctuate, but cold conditions will persist, especially during early morning and night hours,” Palawat said.

Residents said the sudden weather shift affected routine movement.

“The rain this morning made roads slippery and visibility low. It took me much longer than usual to reach the office,” said Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 46.

The weather department indicated that the cold spell may continue in the coming days as the western disturbance remains active, with farmers across northwest India already expressing concern over rain and hailstorm reports from parts of Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, Delhi and surrounding areas received widespread sh owers on Tuesday, bringing a sharp drop in daytime temperatures in the Capital as the maximum fell to 16.9 degrees Celsius (°C) – a drop of more than 6 degrees in just a day.

The rainfall, however, failed to cleanse the national capital’s air, which deteriorated into the “very poor” category by evening.