Minimum temp 2.4 degree Celsius for second day on trot in Gurugram, rain likely next week

GURUGRAM: Though the day was bright and sunny, cold wave conditions swept the city for a second consecutive night on Tuesday.
Temperature fell to 2.4 degrees Celsius, the same as the previous day and three notches below normal for this time of the year. Clear skies made way for a sunlit day as maximum temperature rose slightly to 17.6 degrees Celsius from 16.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), mercury will hover in a similar range for the next 24 hours, after which a western disturbance over Himalayas will push warmer winds to the country's northwest, forcing the cold wave to subside.
"Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are likely to be witnessed over many parts of Haryana, including Gurugram, till Wednesday. Some areas such as Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Mahendragarh may experience ground frost too. But the cold wave is likely to abate from Thursday as winds change to south-easterlies and a cloud cover causes the temperature to rise," Manmohan Singh, director of IMD-Chandigarh, said on Tuesday.
With the western disturbance (a weather system that precipitates rain in India), Gurugram may also get its first winter showers between January 22 and 25, putting an end to the months-long dry spell. The last time the city witnessed rain was on October 10, when it received 3mm of rainfall.
"Under the influence of western disturbance, a wet spell is likely to be witnessed during January 22 and 25. Very light rain is likely to be witnessed at isolated places on January 22 and 25, with peak intensity on January 23 and 24 with light to moderate rains along with thunderstorms and strong surface winds. Isolated pockets will have hailstorm activity on January 23 and 24," Singh added. For Wednesday, the Met department has projected moderate fog in the morning hours, with partly cloudy skies during the day.
Deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav on Tuesday night visited night shelters near the city's railway station, Rajiv Chowk and Bhim Nagar and interacted with people there.
Hill stations in north India may get the first snowfall of this winter while places in Delhi and several states in the region could be lashed with hailstorms during a major wet spell that's likely to hit the region from Saturday onwards, the met department said. The five-day wet spell, which may also see thundershowers with winds gusting up to 50kmph in some areas, will coincide with an active western disturbance set to affect the region from the coming weekend till January 25, the IMD said.