Mercury to remain low for three days in NCR, air improves

With dry and cold northwesterly winds blowing, the mercury may fall by a degree for the next three days, with the minimum temperature around Delhi likely to hover around 7 degrees, the weatherman said on Saturday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature may fall only by a degree, and from Tuesday onwards temperature would rise.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature settled at 7.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, while the maximum temperature stayed at 20.8, three notches below the season's average.

According to the IMD, Sunday may see a slight dip in the minimum temperature to hover around 7 degrees.

"Had the winds been northerly, the temperature would have fallen by at least two to three degrees, because of the snowfall in the northern region. However, the high speed north-westerly winds will also pull mercury slightly down," Charan Singh, weather forecast chief at IMD, told IANS.

"Temperature may drop by a degree tomorrow (Sunday), may rise by a degree the day after, but will remain around seven degrees for next three days" Singh added.

From Tuesday onwards, due to a cloudy sky, the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to increase by around two to three degrees.

Friday's maximum temperature was 7.3 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, and minimum temperature was recorded at 19.5 degrees, four notches below the season's average.

Currently the National Capital Region (NCR) is witnessing a wind speed of 10 to 15 kmph, due to which the temperature had fallen and despite 96 per cent maximum humidity, the air quality has improved from the verge of "very poor" to almost "moderate".

The Air Quality Index (AQI) at 4.00 p.m on Saturday was recorded at 218 points against 272 on Friday -- both considered "poor". But the AQI in Ghaziabad, though "very poor", also saw slight improvement from 379 points on Friday to 344 on Saturday.

The major pollutant PM2.5, or particles with diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, across NCR was 104 units, considered "moderate to poor", though four times the international safe limits.

--IANS

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