IMD forecasts rain today and hotter days till Feb 7

NEW DELHI: Delhi and the neighbouring NCR towns are expected to receive light to moderate rainfall on Thursday under the influence of a fresh western disturbance that will pass over the region, weather scientists said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said under the influence of the same western disturbance the temperatures may rise. A western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northwestern parts of the subcontinent.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) recordings on Wednesday show that the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official marker for Delhi, was 10.4 degrees Celsius, which was two degrees above the season’s normal. The maximum temperature of the day also clocked four degrees above the normal, at 26.1 degrees Celsius.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’S regional weather forecasting centre, said light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorm is likely in Delhi and NCR on Thursday.

“The clouds, however, will pass from Friday. The temperatures will remain on the higher end because of the passing western disturbance,” he said.

Srivastava added the temperature will fall again briefly from February 7. This fall, however, will not be very significant, he said.

“The large difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures can happen specially when a western disturbance is approaching and the wind direction changes,” Srivastava had said.

“There is no forecast of a drop in temperatures. From February 7, the minimum temperature will be around 7-8 degrees Celsius. From February 11 again, the minimum temperature will rise,” Srivastava said.

The incoming western disturbance also resulted in improved wind speed leading to a reduction in the pollution levels in the city. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recordings show that the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was 330, in the ‘very poor’ zone. The AQI on Tuesday was 364, also in the ‘very poor’ category.

Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) predicted that the western disturbance is likely to positively impact ventilation.

“The improved ventilation is likely to influence AQI positively for the next three days. AQI is likely to improve to the lower end of the very poor to poor category for the next two days. AQI is forecasted to marginally deteriorate but in the lower end of the very poor category on February 6,” the Safar forecast read.

In a statement, IMD said heavy rainfall or snowfall is also expected to take place over Jammu and Kashmir on February 3 and 4, and over Himachal Pradesh on February 4.

Moderate rain or thundershowers with isolated lightning and hailstorm is also likely over the plains of northwest India during February 3 to 5, over Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand on February 4 and 5.

THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON WEDNESDAY AT SAFDARJUNG OBSERVATORY WAS RECORDED AT 10.4 DEGREES CELSIUS, 2 ABOVE NORMAL