Temperatures to fall by 2-3 notches in region

Amid above-normal temperatures and poor air quality prevailing over north India due to dry weather and stubble burning, some respite is over the horizon, with the weather department predicting a fall in temperature during the next few days.

“A gradual fall in minimum temperature over north India by 2-3°C during November 3-7 is likely,” a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on November 1 stated. The prevailing minimum temperatures are above normal by 2-6°C in northwest India, with the maximum temperatures above normal by up to 4°C, according to the IMD data.

During the past 24 hours, the maximum temperature in Punjab ranged from 35.5°C in Faridkot to 31.2°C in Hoshiarpur, while the minimum temperatures were between 18.3°C in Fatehgarh Sahib to 31.1°C in Pathankot.

Apart from high temperature, the rains over the region have also been severely deficient during the past month. The shortfall in October was 97 per cent in HP, 95 per cent in Haryana and 70 per cent in Punjab.