Delhi records season’s lowest temperature at 12.7°C; air quality remains ‘poor’

Delhi recorded its coldest morning of the season on Thursday, with the minimum temperature falling to 12.7 degrees Celsius, three degrees below the seasonal average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The sharp dip from 18.4°C a day earlier marked the first time this winter that temperatures in the capital dropped below 15°C. The IMD attributed the decline to cold northwesterly winds blowing in after fresh snowfall in the northern hill states, combined with clear night skies that allowed rapid cooling.

“The effect of cold northwesterly winds is now visible in Delhi, causing a drop in minimum temperatures,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at private forecaster Skymet Weather.

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The weather office said minimum temperatures are expected to stay between 12°C and 14°C over the weekend, with daytime highs likely to remain in the 27°C to 30°C range.

Thursday’s low surpassed the previous seasonal minimum of 15.8°C recorded on October 26. Long-term data shows that minimum temperatures in the capital typically fall below 10°C by late November.

Meanwhile, the city’s air quality deteriorated further, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 278 at 9 a.m., placing it in the “poor” category. Cooler temperatures and calm winds tend to trap pollutants near the surface, worsening air quality. On Wednesday, the average AQI stood at 202.

Authorities have urged residents to take precautions as pollution levels remain high and temperatures continue to drop in the coming days.