Rain, wind bring down mercury, pollution in Gurugram

GURUGRAM: Rain, sun and wind played hide and seek on Sunday as people in Gurugram were greeted with spells of rain, winds and bright sunny weather. The few minutes of showers not only brought down temperatures to 26, it also lowered the pollution level by at least 25%.
The weatherman predicted clear skies from Monday and said it would remain so till March 8, after which the skies are likely to get overcast again. Several parts of Gurugram received a few minutes of rain on Sunday, coupled with brisk winds. Met officials have attributed the weather to a western disturbance currently affecting Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

The shot spell of rain and an increase in wind speed also brought down pollution levels by around 25%. The highest level of PM2.5 on Sunday was reported at 85 micrograms per cubic metre, while that on Saturday was at 113 micrograms per cubic metre. The air quality index, on the other hand, also came down to the moderate level at 167.

Officials at the Haryana pollution control board a slight increase in the wind speed and the light showers had led to the dip. “A sudden dip was seen in the level of PM2.5 on Sunday, thanks to the light showers and a slight increase in wind speed. It is now at the moderate level,” a pollution board official said.

Many residents took to social media to express the momentary relief they had got from the rising temperatures over the past few days. The rainfall was largely sporadic. While areas like Palam Vihar experienced light drizzle with a heavy dust storm, there were several parts in Gurugram that did not see any rain at all.

Officials at the regional weather forecasting centre said the skies would remain clear from Monday and continue till March 8.

“The temperatures have been in the moderate range. There will be a component of north westerly winds in the air,” an official said. The officials also said a fresh western disturbance would again hit the area after March 8.

The weather is likely to remain pleasant over the next week and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around the 27-28 degree mark. The mercury, however, will see an upward trend towards the middle of the month.