The national capital on Sunday registered a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the seasonal average, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD forecasts indicate predominantly clear skies and light fog for Sunday, with expectations of dense fog in the city from December 5 to 9.
As of 8:30 am on Sunday, Delhi recorded a relative humidity of 100 percent, and there was no rainfall reported in the past 24 hours, as stated by the weather office.
Several flights at Delhi airport were diverted on Saturday morning due to adverse weather conditions, with approximately 20 flights affected, an official said.
According to the official, these flights were redirected to Jaipur, Amritsar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh. The diversions occurred between 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM.
Among the diversions, 13 flights were rerouted to Jaipur, while Amritsar received four, and Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh each received one, the official elaborated.
Around 8:10 AM, the Delhi airport posted on X, notifying ongoing implementation of low visibility procedures at the airport.
The Central Pollution Control Board reported that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) depicted concerning readings across various areas. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 388, Ashok Vihar at 386, Lodhi Road at 349, and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 366. This reinforced the prevailing ‘very poor’ air quality in the national capital.
The city’s 24-hour average AQI on Friday stood at 372, maintaining its ‘very poor’ categorisation, while the previous day witnessed an AQI reading of 398, bordering the ‘severe’ level. However, Friday’s temperatures in Delhi saw a slight increase from the preceding day, registering above-normal figures for this period. The minimum temperature rose to 13.3°C, three degrees above normal, and the maximum temperature reached 25.4°C, slightly surpassing the usual range.
The Early Warning System (EWS) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) anticipated continued ‘very poor’ air quality in Delhi from December 2 to 4. Additionally, the outlook for the subsequent six days indicated a persistence of ‘very poor’ air quality.
Moreover, Saturday in Delhi was characterised by moderate fog, reducing visibility to 400 meters during the early hours. Weather forecasts suggested a sustained meteorological pattern in the coming days, offering no significant alteration in conditions.