Maximum temp falls by 4 degree Celsius; rain likely today: IMD

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making it the second coldest day in March in at least 27 years.

The maximum temperature of the city — which saw cloudy skies and intermittent light rains — dropped by more than four degrees on Saturday. The day temperature was recorded at 18.5 degrees Celsius, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said.

Maximum temp falls by 4 degree Celsius; rain likely today (PTI)

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making it the second coldest day in March in at least 27 years. It was the coldest March day since 2015. The minimum temperatures in both Gurugram and Delhi were 13 degrees Celsius.

Rain is expected for two more days, IMD officials maintained. “Sunday and Monday are likely to be mostly cloudy with a high possibility of rain or a thunderstorm,” an IMD spokesperson said, adding that the rains are a result of the western disturbance.

Kuldeep Srivastava, senior scientist at the IMD, said, “Friday’s low minimum temperature was due to the after-effects of snowfall in the Himalayas. On Saturday, the temperature rose due to an ongoing western disturbance.” According to the IMD, the current western disturbance is the 15th of the winter season while, on an average, the country only sees about five to six.

The minimum temperature over the next two to three days is expected to be around 13 degrees Celsius and is likely to fall to 10 degrees Celsius around March 6. The day temperature would be around 20 degrees till Monday, following which it is likely to rise to 23 degrees Celsius, IMD officials said.

Meanwhile, due to the high wind speeds and the rains on Saturday, the city’s air quality index (AQI) was in the moderate category. Saturday’s AQI was recorded at 173 (moderate), a minimal rise from the AQI of 156 (moderate). The level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in the atmosphere on Saturday was recorded at 113 ug/m3.