Chandigarh, December 12: Rainfall in city has plunged the mercury one degree below the normal maximum temperature and spell is expected to continue till next few days.

In view of the rainfall, the day and night temperature will also witness a change. Officials said the day temperature would see a decline during the rain and the night temperature in contrast would record a certain degree of rise.

Officials said 0.5 mm rainfall was recorded in the city. The temperature on Monday was recorded at 21.6 degrees Celsius, which is 1 degree below the normal maximum temperature. The night temperature was recorded at 11.6 degrees Celsius, which is 5 degrees Celsius above the normal minimum temperature.

Director of the local MeT department Surender Paul told media that the ongoing rain spell, brought in by a western disturbance, will continue for the next 24-36 hours. “Its effects will decrease from December 13. We expect a clear sky after that,” Paul said, adding that the decline in the rainfall will start from Tuesday afternoon.

In view of the rainfall, the day and night temperature will also witness a change. Officials said the day temperature would see a decline during the rain and the night temperature in contrast would record a certain degree of rise.

“The day temperature, as you have also already seen, will witness a significant fall during the next two days and the night temperature will witness a rise,” an official said, adding that the change in weather would remain till the western disturbance is active over the city.

The temperature on Tuesday has been predicted to remain around 18 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is expected to reach 12 degrees Celsius. “Generally cloudy sky with very likely rain/thundershowers,” the weather department said in its daily bulletin for Tuesday.

The active western disturbance over the northern region of the country has also brought in snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu andKashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Officials said the precipitation would also bring down the level of air pollution in the city.