Breaking the ongoing spell of heat, parts of Haryana and the Delhi-NCR region are likely to receive moderate rainfall and thunderstorms on Sunday, accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
IMD officials said thunderstorms with gusty winds are expected in Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Sonipat, Chandigarh and Panchkula, where wind speeds may reach 30-40 kmph. In Kurukshetra, Ambala and Karnal, wind speeds may be slightly stronger at 40-50 kmph, according to the weather department.
Officials added that parts of Haryana are also likely to witness another episode of rainfall on March 18 and March 20.
The weather activity is being driven by a series of approaching western disturbances, which are likely to trigger spells of rain and thunderstorms across Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi-NCR region, officials said.
According to IMD officials, temperatures are expected to fall by around 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next five days due to the impact of these western disturbances and associated rainfall. The expected rainfall may bring relief from the heat, as several parts of Haryana and Delhi-NCR have recorded higher-than-normal temperatures in March this year.
In Gurugram, the minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 17.5°C, a drop of 3.2 degrees from Friday, while the maximum temperature settled at 31°C, down by 3.4 degrees, according to IMD data.
{{/usCountry}}In Gurugram, the minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 17.5°C, a drop of 3.2 degrees from Friday, while the maximum temperature settled at 31°C, down by 3.4 degrees, according to IMD data.
{{/usCountry}}On Friday, the city experienced an unusually warm night, with the minimum temperature touching 20.7°C — the first time this season that the mercury crossed the 20-degree mark, according to the IMD.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Gurugram remained in the “moderate” category, with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 183. In Manesar, the AQI stood at 143, also falling in the “moderate” category.
Of the four air monitoring stations in Gurugram, only two were reporting readings as of 5 pm. Gwal Pahari recorded an AQI of 136, while Vikas Sadan reported an AQI of 227, which falls under the “poor” category.