Active Western Disturbances over the past week brought along cloudy weather, trace rain and gusty winds, keeping the mercury from climbing rapidly.

But the week coming up may not be as pleasant, as no new WD is approaching until Thursday, by when the maximum temperature may shoot up to even 33°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Gusty winds up to 40 km/h and trace rain (less than 0.1 mm) were recorded at both the IMD observatory in Sector 39 and the Chandigarh airport on Sunday.

Due to this, the maximum temperature fell from 31.2°C on Saturday to 29.3°C on Sunday, 0.7 degree below normal. The minimum temperature also dipped from 17.2°C on Saturday to 16°C on Sunday, 0.3 degree below normal.

Speaking about the coming week, IMD Chandigarh director AK Singh said, “Rise in temperature is to be expected now, as we enter the final week of March. It is likely to stay within normal limits and can be affected slightly due to the WDs during the weekend.”

As per IMD, a fresh WD will affect the city on Tuesday as well, but rain is unlikely. Another WD will approach the region around Thursday, when rain can be expected. As per IMD officials, maximum temperature can go up to 33°C till then. The minimum temperature will remain between 14°C and 15°C during this period.

Holi revellers can expect clear skies on Monday with a maximum temperature of around 32°C.

Air quality improves

With the rising temperature and spells of trace rain, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city has also improved recently. At the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in Sector 22, the average AQI at 7 pm on Sunday was 78, regarded as “satisfactory”.

But it was 101 at the CAAQMS in Sector 53 and 117 at the CAAQMS in Sector 25, both in the “moderate” bracket. At 30, the AQI in Panchkula was even lower, falling in the “good” bracket.

Speaking about this, IMD officials said due to temperature inversion, AQI drops itself in summer. The recent spells of trace rain are also helping the air quality improve.