Gurgaon: Temperatures jumped sharply in Haryana on Sunday. The city recorded an unusually warm Feb day, with the maximum temperature touching close to 27 degrees Celsius.On Saturday, the maximum temperature in the city was 25.4 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was not available. Palwal was the hottest location in the state, recording a high of 30.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Nuh at 29.5 degrees Celsius and Bhiwani at 29 degrees Celsius.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in the city settled at 10.3 degrees Celsius, indicating a gradual warming of nights as well, though still hovering around normal levels for this time of year.Across the state, IMD noted that average maximum temperatures rose by around 1.2 degrees Celsius and were appreciably above normal by over three degrees Celsius in several districts. Hisar and Faridabad also saw daytime temperatures nearing 29 degrees Celsius.Minimum temperatures showed a milder increase, rising by about 1.3 degrees Celsius on average and remaining largely near normal. The lowest night temperature in the state was recorded at Mahendragarh AWS at 8.9 degrees Celsius.No rainfall was recorded anywhere in Haryana during the past 24 hours.Meteorological officials said the rising temperatures point to a clear warming trend towards the end of winter, with warmer days becoming more frequent, particularly in south Haryana, including Gurgaon and neighbouring districts.With daytime temperatures mostly running above normal through early Feb, winter in Delhi has nearly disappeared. Meteorologists say the rest of the month will remain warmer than usual, with only a slight, short-lived dip around Feb 17–18 when a weak western disturbance brings more cloudiness and the possibility of very light rain.Data from IMD shows that maximum temperatures have largely stayed above normal as winter conditions fade. Between Feb 1 and 15, the mercury dipped below 20°C only once—on Feb 2, when a weak western disturbance pushed it down to 17.5°C.The month’s highest maximum so far, 28.6°C, was recorded on Feb 10, and since then daytime temperatures have remained above 25°C. On Sunday, the maximum settled at 28.5°C, four degrees above normal, compared with 27°C the previous day.Meanwhile, according to IMD forecasts, maximum temperatures are likely to remain 1.6°C to 5°C above normal over the next week. While a western disturbance is expected to influence parts of north India from Feb 17 and may trigger very light rain or drizzle in isolated pockets of Delhi on Feb 18, it is unlikely to lead to any significant cooling.“The maximum temperature has been staying three to six degrees above normal over Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, parts of Haryana and the Himalayan region. It may dip by one to three degrees under the influence of a western disturbance,” said Krishna Mishra, IMD scientist. “In Delhi, the maximum may fall by one to two degrees on Feb 17–18, but it is likely to rise again from Feb 19. No major change in minimum temperature is expected.”
