Gautam Budh Nagar: Warm days ahead as min temp rises

NOIDA: Residents in Gautam Budh Nagar can have some relief from the prevailing cold conditions during early morning and late night time as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday forecast a gradual rise in minimum temperatures over the next two days.

According to the latest predictions, the minimum temperature in the district that stood at 9.3 degree Celsius (°C) on Monday, is expected to increase to 11-12°C in the coming days.

The maximum temperature is likely to remain stable at 26-27°C. On Monday, the maximum temperature was recorded as 28°C. This rise in temperature is attributed to weak western disturbances affecting the Western Himalayas.

However, weather experts have noted that their impact on the northern plains, including Gautam Budh Nagar, will be minimal. “There may be frequent western disturbances across the western Himalayas, but their impact will be negligible over the northern plains. As a result, the minimum temperature is expected to rise in the coming days. For the next two days, winds may be light but from February 12 onwards, strong northwesterly winds will start blowing, leading to a decrease in air pollution once again,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Climate and Meteorology at Skymet Weather.

The IMD too suggested a temporary decline in wind activity over the next two days, resulting in relatively calm weather. However, strong northwesterly winds are expected to return, which could influence the region’s daytime and night-time temperatures in coming days.

Despite the brief relief, weather experts advise residents to remain prepared for fluctuating temperatures and chilly winds in the mornings and evenings.

The rise in minimum temperatures may provide some respite from the winter chill. But strong winds could still bring a mild nip (chill) in the air, especially during early morning and late-night hours.

As per the prediction from IMD, there will be strong surface winds during the daytime on February 12 and 13 in Gautam Budh Nagar. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 11-12 °C and maximum temperature around 26-27 °C, till February 14. There is also a forecast of fog or mist on February 15 and 16 again.

Residents said although the warmer days sound good, they wished the weather to remain pleasant rather than suddenly bringing extreme heat.

“The changing wind patterns also make us cautious about how air quality will fluctuate in the coming days,” said Nikhil Singhal, a resident of Noida.

To be sure, the air quality index (AQI) of the past 24 hours in Noida and Greater Noida was recorded as 192 in the “moderate” category, and 204 in the “poor” category respectively on Monday by the Central Pollution Control Board.