NEW DELHI: The minimum temperature is predicted to dip from Tuesday due to the passage of a western disturbance. Cold wave conditions are likely to return. However, Met officials said people may get relief in the first week of January.
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Both minimum and maximum temperatures may remain above normal on January 3 and 4. According to IMD, the minimum temperature may remain 4 degrees Celsius from Tuesday to Friday but it may dip to 3 degrees Celsius on December 31.
City blows hot and cold, temp may rise in first 5 days of 2021
However, as another western disturbance is predicted in January, the temperatures are expected to go up in the first five days of next month. Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD) and head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, said, “As the influence of western disturbance is over, the wind direction would change its direction from easterly to north-westerly. Hence, cold winds from mountains which received fresh snowfall would blow to Delhi and cause fall in temperature and cold wave conditions in parts of Delhi.”
On Monday, the minimum temperature recorded was 5.6 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, while the maximum temperature was 20.9 degrees Celsius. The lowest minimum temperature on Monday was recorded at Aya Nagar station at 4 degrees Celsius. “Both minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to remain above normal on January 2 and 3. The minimum temperature may rise to 6 degrees Celsius on January 2 and 8 degrees Celsius on January 3. Very light rain is predicted for January 3,” said an official.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality, which remained at the higher end of ‘very poor’ category, on Sunday improved to ‘poor’ due to strong winds during day and night. Air Quality Index (AQI) of the capital was 253 on Monday as against 396 on Sunday.
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences, said, “Elevated night-time boundary layer height and better surface winds helped to disperse accumulated pollutants. AQI is likely to improve to the lower end of the ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category on Tuesday. AQI is likely to deteriorate thereafter to the middle-end of the ‘very poor’ category by Wednesday.”