Cold wave conditions to abate as city expected to see a rise in temperature: MeT

The city might get some reprieve from the cold with the temperature expected to rise from Saturday onwards, as per the India Meteorological Department(IMD). As per

The city might get some reprieve from the cold with the temperature expected to rise from Saturday onwards, as per the India Meteorological Department(IMD). As per the IMD’s forecast, the minimum temperature is expected to hover between 5 degrees and 6 degree Celsius on January 2 and 3 respectively.

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Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said that the relief from the cold was on the cards with the temperature expected to rise from Saturday. “We will see a rise in temperature starting from tomorrow (Saturday). In the next 4-5 days, cold wave conditions will abate,” said Srivastava.

The city’s minimum temperature settled at 4.1 degrees Celsius on Friday — three degrees below the normal, according to India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Palam observatory in Delhi. The IMD’s automatic weather station (AWS) for Gurugram did not record the city’s temperature on Friday. The Palam observatory, according to the MeT department officials, gives a fairly accurate reading of the city’s weather. The maximum temperature was recorded at 17.2 degrees — two degrees below the normal.

As per the IMD’s weekly forecast, light rain is likely on Saturday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius and five degrees Celsius respectively, as per the IMD’s weekly forecast.

Air quality in the city deteriorated to its worst in at least two weeks, with a reading of 376 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily air quality index (AQI) bulletin, indicating “very poor” air. This is up from 317 (also ‘very poor’) the previous day. Gurugram did, however, remain the least polluted city in the NCR, with Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Delhi all recording “severe” air on Friday. Manesar, as has been the case throughout this winter season, reported cleaner air than Gurugram on Friday, with 329 on the AQI bulletin (up from Thursday’s ‘poor’ reading of 252).

As per the early air quality warning system for Delhi-NCR, “Air quality is likely to deteriorate and remain in upper end of Very Poor to Severe category on 01.01.2021 owing to extremely unfavourable ventilation conditions for dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is likely to improve on 02.01.2021 and reach from Severe to Very Poor category (sic).” However, with another bout of rain and strong winds predicted on January 3, the region may see a significant improvement in air quality early next week.