Delhi records minimum temperature of 10.8 degree Celsius

Delhi experienced a minimum temperature of 10.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, two degrees above the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The humidity level at 8:30 am was recorded at 100 per cent.

The IMD predicted moderate to dense fog for the day, with the maximum temperature expected to reach around 26 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped into the ‘very poor’ category, registering a reading of 347 at 9 am, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). AQI levels are classified as follows: 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.

The national capital has just concluded an unusually warm January, with Friday’s maximum temperature reaching 27 degrees Celsius, making it the city’s warmest day in the month since 2019. The average maximum temperature for January was 21.1 degrees Celsius, slightly above the long-period average (LPA) of 20.1 degrees Celsius, marking it as Delhi’s warmest January since 2019.

Nighttime temperatures were also higher than usual, with the average minimum temperature for the month settling at 8.5 degrees Celsius, the highest since 2017, when it was 8.7 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists attribute this warmth to the absence of strong western disturbances, which typically bring rain and lower temperatures.

“This month, while western disturbances did pass through north India, most of them were feeble and did not result in substantial snowfall or rainfall,” said Mahesh Palawat, a weather expert. He explained that stronger systems would have led to colder conditions due to icy winds and cloud cover, but their absence allowed temperatures to rise quickly.

Additionally, rainfall in northwest India was 81 per cent below normal, impacting winter chill and reducing fog formation. “January usually sees dense fog, but this time, particularly in the latter half of the month, fog has been nearly absent,” Palawat added.

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Despite high pollution levels, the slightly higher temperatures this month contributed to some improvement in air quality, as warmer conditions help disperse pollutants. Delhi’s average AQI for January stood at 305, the cleanest January since 2022, when the average was 279. However, Friday’s AQI was recorded at 351, still in the ‘very poor’ category.

Forecasts suggest Delhi’s air quality will remain in the ‘very poor’ category until February 3, with slight improvements expected thereafter. “From February 1 to 3, Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor.’ It may improve to ‘poor’ in the subsequent days,” stated the Centre’s Early Warning System for Delhi.

(With inputs from PTI)