Grey skies, light rain bring relief to Gurgaon residents

An IMD official said that the South West monsoon is active in the region

City residents woke up to pleasant weather on Saturday, with light rain dragging the mercury down in the evening. Though, there was a slight increase in humidity after the rain, residents were spotted out and about enjoying the rain.

The IMD has forecast more rain in the city next week.(Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The minimum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 25.5°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) held out hope of more showers next week. The city was buffeted by a cold breeze and the sky remained cloudy through the day.

“Such sudden showers will be a regular feature this month. The South West monsoon is active in this region and thi is why it is receiving rain,” an IMD officer said.

The pleasant evenings have brought relief to city residents after a long summer spell that continued through most of July and August as well. While Gurgaon saw more rainfall than last year, with several instances of waterlogging as well, the monsoon remained deficient.

According to data released by the Met, Haryana, so far, has received 75% less rainfall than normal.

As has been seen in the city even after light rain, there was waterlogging at Huda City Centre, Signature Tower, MG Road and several internal sector roads. The situation was different in the Aravalli hills, as the rain infused life into the parched forest and also brought relief to the wildlife in and around Gurgaon.

The minimum and maximum temperatures will drop by 3°C over the next couple of days, the Met department predicted. There is also possibility of rain or thunderstorm in isolated areas of the city.

Read I Heavy rain lashes Gurgaon, more showers likely this week

Recent showers have also made a difference to the city’s pollution levels. The PM 2.5 was recorded at 57 µg/m³ by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), against the permissible limit of 60 µg/m³.

The PM 2.5, is suspended particulate matter which is 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter and one of the major components of air pollution. These particles could settle in the lungs and cause respiratory problems.