Residents of Gurgaon woke up to the chilliest morning of the season on Monday, as the city's minimum temperature plunged to a brisk 5.3 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) Chandigarh centre confirmed this reading, taken at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra automatic weather station, marked a significant two-degree drop from Sunday's levels.
Statewide Chill Grips Haryana
The intense cold was not confined to Gurgaon. Across Haryana, western parts experienced sharper conditions. Narnaul recorded the state's lowest temperature at 3°C, closely followed by Hisar at 3.6°C. Other major cities also felt the bite: Rohtak and Sirsa both logged 4.8°C, Karnal saw 5.2°C, and Chandigarh city recorded a minimum of 7.8°C. The IMD noted that the average minimum temperature for the state fell by 0.8°C in the past 24 hours, though it remains near the seasonal average.
Cold Days and Dry Forecast
The cold persisted through the daylight hours in several areas, with cold day conditions reported in Chandigarh, Ambala, and Narnaul, where maximum temperatures stayed appreciably below normal. Bhiwani recorded the highest maximum temperature in Haryana at 15.5°C. The weather department reported no significant rainfall in the state in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 am on Monday.
In its forecast, the Chandigarh Met centre stated that dry weather is likely to prevail across Haryana. However, a more concerning prediction is that minimum temperatures may fall further by 2 to 3°C over the next four days before stabilising.
Weather Systems and Warnings
An IMD official attributed the prevailing conditions to a fresh western disturbance, seen as a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan, interacting with a strong subtropical westerly jet stream. This system is influencing weather patterns over northwest India.
The department has issued warnings for the coming days, including:
- Dense to very dense fog at isolated places in Haryana.
- Continued cold day conditions in some areas.
Officials explained that clear night skies and cold northwesterly winds are causing faster heat loss after sunset, leading to the colder early morning conditions being experienced by residents.
