With scant rain on anvil till next week, heat and pollution to rise in Gurugram

Parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) such as Delhi, Noida and Faridabad received patchy, isolated rainfall on Thursday afternoon due to a reversal in wind patterns.

As rains mostly gave the city a miss, the maximum temperature crossed 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this month on Thursday.The day’s maximum temperature was recorded at 35.5 degrees Celsius, three degrees above the normal for this time of the year, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to experts, the city is unlikely to receive heavy rain this week, and the temperature may reduce only marginally.

Black clouds hover over the city, in Gurugram (Yogendra Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) such as Delhi, Noida and Faridabad received patchy, isolated rainfall on Thursday afternoon due to a reversal in wind patterns. “Humid northeasterlies blowing over the region met winds from the Arabian Sea and resulted in the formation of a confluence zone, which led to the rainfall,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, senior scientist, IMD. However, Gurugram remained largely dry and the winds failed to create much impact here, he said.

However, until Monday, no significant weather system is likely to arise in the region, and hence almost negligible rainfall can be expected, experts said. “Light rain is expected late on Sunday and on Monday,” an IMD spokesperson said.

The day temperature is likely to come down to 33 degrees Celsius around Monday, as per the IMD. The minimum temperature on Thursday was 24.5 degrees Celsius — a fall of a degree from Wednesday’s minimum temperature. The minimum temperature is likely to be around 26 degrees Celsius this week.

Meanwhile, Gurugram’s air quality index (AQI) value on Thursday was recorded as ‘satisfactory’ with a reading of 100, as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s AQI monitor at Vikas Sadan in Sector 11. The AQI on Wednesday was ‘moderate’ with a reading of 126. Wednesday was the first day this month when the AQI fell to moderate levels. The AQI this month has been either ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’, and experts attributed high-speed winds, rainfall and moisture in the air for the same. The AQI is likely to be in the ‘satisfactory’ category this week, experts said.