Warmer days ahead as mercury rises

Noida: Warmer days are expected in Noida and neighbouring areas. A weather analyst with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the change of wind directions from the cold north-westerly to the slight warmer easterly and southerly component, and clear sky will lead to a four degrees Celsius rise in temperature.

On Monday, the minimum and maximum temperature for Noida was recorded at 14.3 degrees Celsius (°C) and 28.5 °C respectively, a one degree higher than a day earlier. On Sunday, Noida recorded a max and min temperature of 13.4 degrees and 27.5°C.

For NCR, the maximum and minimum was recorded at 28.9°C, fur degrees higher than the season’s average, and 11°C, the season’s average.

“The mercury will rise leading to slight warmer days and the situation may remain so for a few days. The region is now already experiencing both minimum and maximum temperature rising above the season’s average,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre (IMD).

Meanwhile, the air quality of Noida and Greater Noida begin to drop though still within ‘poor’ category. Ghaziabad’s air quality index (AQI) however, turned very-poor again after improving to “poor” category for a just one day.

Noida’s air quality entered under ‘poor’ category on February 20 but is not slowly deteriorating..

According to pollution monitoring agencies, the air quality may improve slightly. So far this month, Noida has seen only four days of ‘poor’ air, two days of ‘moderate’ air, while air quality levels have been largely oscillating between ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’.

According to the CPCB, the air quality index (AQI) of Noida on Mondya, on a scale of 0 to 500, was 290 against 251 a day earlier. The AQI of Greater Noida deteriorated to 294 against 300 a day earlier. The air quality of Ghaziabad was 318 against 360 a day earlier.

The AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 is ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very-poor’ and above 400 is considered ‘severe’.

According to the System of air quality and weather forecasting and research (SAFAR), the air quality is likely to improve marginally.

“Surface winds are low and west-south-westerly. Marginal improvement in ventilation index is forecasted for today and tomorrow. AQI is likely to marginally improve and stay at the lower end of the Very Poor to Poor category on 22nd to 23rd February. Very Poor AQI is forecasted for 24th and 25th February,” said the SAFAR statement on Monday.