Residents of Gurgaon woke up to another foggy morning on Monday, with the city's minimum temperature settling at 10 degrees Celsius. This reading was notably 1.7 degrees higher than Sunday's low, even as dense fog significantly reduced visibility in the early hours.
Temperature Trends and Foggy Conditions
The day's maximum temperature, however, told a different story, peaking at 22.9°C. This was about 0.7 degrees lower than the maximum recorded on Sunday. The combination of cold air near the earth's surface and high moisture levels overnight created perfect conditions for the thick fog blanket.
This phenomenon was not isolated to Gurgaon alone. Similar foggy conditions were reported from several other districts across Haryana, including Faridabad, Palwal, Sonipat, and Rohtak. Weather officials clarified that such conditions are typical for this phase of winter, especially when calm wind conditions allow fog to form and linger close to the ground.
Meteorological Factors Behind the Weather
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the current weather pattern to a specific set of atmospheric conditions. A western disturbance is persisting as an upper-air cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan and nearby areas, located approximately 3.1 kilometres above mean sea level.
Adding to this is an associated trough in the middle tropospheric westerlies, with its axis near 5.8 km altitude. Furthermore, a powerful subtropical westerly jet stream with core winds reaching up to 120 knots is continuing over northwest India at an altitude of nearly 12.6 km.
Officials have forecast that dense fog is likely to persist in Gurgaon for the next two days.
Forecast for the Coming Week
Looking ahead, the weather across Haryana is expected to remain dry for the next seven days. A fresh, though feeble, western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region starting from the night of December 17.
In terms of temperature, a slight dip is on the cards. The minimum temperature in Gurgaon may fall by around 2°C over the next 48 hours. This will be followed by a gradual rise of 2-3°C over the subsequent three-day period.
A significant development expected on December 16 is the likelihood of strong surface winds blowing at 20-30 kmph across the state. These winds could provide temporary relief by helping to disperse the accumulated fog and air pollutants.
