Residents of Gurgaon experienced a slight but noticeable respite from the biting cold on Thursday, as the city's minimum temperature recorded a significant rise. However, weather officials warn that this relief is temporary, with colder conditions and dense fog expected to return soon.
Temperature Swing and Current Conditions
The mercury in Gurgaon climbed to a minimum of 9.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday. This marks a sharp increase of nearly four degrees from the previous night's reading of 5.9°C, which had been the season's coldest night so far. The day's maximum temperature also saw an uptick, settling at 14°C, about 1.6 degrees higher than Wednesday's high.
This warming trend was observed across Haryana, with the state's average minimum temperature rising by approximately 3.3°C. Despite this, several districts continued to shiver under cold conditions. Narnaul remained the coldest recorded place in the state at 5.5°C. Other major districts like Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Faridabad also saw their minimums stay in the single digits.
IMD Forecast and Dense Fog Warning
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued specific warnings for the coming days. The weather body has stated that cold day conditions are likely in Gurgaon on January 4 and 5. More broadly, it has retained a warning for dense to very dense fog over Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi during the night and morning hours until around January 5.
The persistent morning fog is expected to suppress daytime temperatures in several areas over the next few days. In its bulletin, the IMD specifically advised motorists to exercise extreme caution, particularly on highways and open stretches where visibility can drop dramatically and without warning.
Driving Weather Patterns and Future Outlook
The current fluctuation in weather is being driven by a large-scale system. An active western disturbance is currently positioned over north Pakistan and adjoining Afghanistan. This system, with an associated trough extending into the middle atmosphere and a prevailing subtropical westerly jet stream, is influencing North India's weather.
The IMD predicts that minimum temperatures may continue to rise temporarily by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius until January 2. However, once this western disturbance passes, temperatures are expected to dip again. The forecast indicates no major change in the cold weather pattern is expected beyond this temporary rise, signaling that the winter chill is far from over for the National Capital Region and surrounding states.
