Cold continues, minimum temperature at 5.2°C

The cold wave conditions in the region continued on Wednesday, with Gurugram recording a minimum temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological

The cold wave conditions in the region continued on Wednesday, with Gurugram recording a minimum temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Palam observatory.

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The maximum temperature on Wednesday, as per the Palam observatory, was 15.2 degrees Celsius. While the maximum temperature was five degrees below the normal, the minimum was two degrees below the normal temperature for this time of the year.

The IMD’s automatic weather station (AWS) for Gurugram did not record the city’s temperature on Wednesday. However, the Palam observatory, according to the MeT department officials, gives a fairly accurate reading of the city’s weather.

As per the IMD’s forecast, no significant change is likely in the minimum temperatures over most parts of northwest and central India over the next two days. The temperature is expected to rise by 3-5 degrees Celsius after that. Cold wave conditions, along with dense fog, in isolated pockets of Haryana, are expected over the next two days, as per the IMD. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 16 degrees Celsius and four degrees Celsius, respectively, as per the IMD’s weekly forecast. Light rain is expected from January 2.

The air quality in the city deteriorated slightly on Wednesday, with Gurugram recording an air quality index (AQI) of 227 (poor), as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin. On Tuesday, the AQI stood at 214, in the poor zone, of the daily bulletin. Experts attributed the improvement over the last two days to high-speed winds and change in the wind direction, but said that air quality might worsen in the next two days.

“The air quality is likely to deteriorate around New Year’s Day. However, we are expecting rain this week, which would help in cleaning up the air. Once the temperature starts dipping again, the air quality is likely to decline,” said Sachin Panwar, an independent air quality scientist.

According to the early air quality warning system for Delhi-NCR, the air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category on Thursday and reach the upper-end of the very poor category on Friday. Extremely poor ventilation conditions, unfavourable for the dispersion of pollutants, are likely to prevail on Thursday and Friday. Subsequently, air quality is likely to improve from January 2.