Delhi recorded a significant dip in temperatures on Saturday, logging its lowest minimum temperature of the month so far at 16.9∘ Celsius. This temperature, measured by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is two notches below the season’s average.
The drop in mercury signals the onset of the cooler weather, with the minimum temperature in 2023 having been lower at 15.9∘ Celsius, and in 2024 it stood at 17.4∘ Celsius. The maximum temperature for the day was recorded at 32∘ Celsius, which is 0.5∘ below normal. The humidity level was high, standing at 89 per cent at 5:30 pm.
Air Quality in ‘Poor’ Category, Pockets in ‘Severe’
Despite the cooler weather, the city continued to battle poor air quality. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi remained in the “poor” category, registering a reading of 292 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
However, air quality worsened significantly in several localized areas. Monitoring stations in Anand Vihar and Wazirabad recorded AQI figures in the “severe” category at 415 and 405, respectively, marking the highest readings across all monitoring stations as per the CPCB’s Sameer app.
A further breakdown of the data showed that sixteen stations in the city fell into the “very poor” category (above 300), while the remaining stations were in the “poor” category (below 300).
The CPCB’s classification for AQI is as follows: 0−50 “good”, 51−100 “satisfactory”, 101−200 “moderate”, 201−300 “poor”, 301−400 “very poor”, and 401−500 “severe”.
Forecast for Sunday:
The IMD forecasts a continuation of the cool weather, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle around 31∘ and 17∘ Celsius, respectively, on Sunday. The weather department has also predicted shallow fog for Sunday morning.