New Delhi:
Parts of North India experienced a little respite from cold as mercury rose by a few notches in some states, with the IMD on Tuesday forecasting dry weather for Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh till at least November 6.
Delhi’s air quality remained “very poor” on Tuesday and is predicted to turn “severe” this week due to unfavorable meteorological conditions.
The city’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 367. It was 318 on Monday and 268 on Sunday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
The maximum wind speed was 8 kmph on Tuesday and is expected to be 10 kmph on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was 8.1 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and the maximum 27.2 degrees Celsius, the weather department said.
The central government’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said air quality is likely to remain in the upper end of the “very poor” category due to unfavorable meteorological conditions.
There is a possibility of the air quality reaching the “severe” category between December 4 and December 7, it said.
Weather remained dry in Himachal Pradesh and it will continue to be dry in the next week till December 7, Shimla Meteorological Centre Director Manmohan Singh said.
Lahaul and Spiti’s administrative centre, Keylong, recorded the coldest temperature in the state at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kinnaur’s Kalpa recorded a low of 2.6 degrees Celsius, he added.
The minimum temperature in Manali, Kufri and Dalhousie was recorded at 3.4 degrees, 9.5 degrees and 10.4 degrees Celsius respectively, the weatherman said.
Shimla recorded a low of 10.3 degrees Celsius, Singh added.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg was the only place in Kashmir which experienced a sub-zero night as there was an improvement in the minimum temperature across the valley and the weather is expected to remain dry till December 6, officials said.
Gulmarg, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was the only place in the valley where the mercury stayed below the freezing point at a low of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
They said the mercury in Srinagar, which had recorded minimum temperature of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius on Monday, settled at a low of 1.0 degree Celsius on Tuesday.
Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded a low of 0.2 degree Celsius.
The officials said the mercury settled at the minimum of 1.4 degree Celsius in Qazigund, 1.0 degrees Celsius in Kupwara and 1.2 degrees Celsius in Kokernag.
The MET Office has forecast mainly dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir till December 6, after which there is a possibility of a spell of rain/snow during December 7-8.
Minimum temperatures increased by two to three notches in parts of Rajasthan and the state’s only hill station Mount Abu recorded a low of 4.4 degrees Celsius on Monday night.
The minimum temperature in Churu was 6.5 degrees Celsius. It was 7 degrees Celsius in Sikar, 7.6 degrees Celsius in Pilani, 8.9 degrees Celsius in Bhilwara, 9.5 degrees Celsius in Sriganganagar and 10.2 degrees Celsius in Chittorgarh and Dabok.
Minimum temperatures again settled above normal limits in Haryana and Punjab.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius, up one notch against normal limits, according to the Meteorological Department here.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 8.3 degrees, while Karnal recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius.
Amritsar in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.
Ludhiana and Patiala both recorded a low of 9.2 degrees Celsius.
