Overcast sky marks year’s last day in Delhi

Delhi experienced an overcast sky on the last day of the year, Tuesday, with the maximum temperature dropping to 17.7 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees below normal. The minimum temperature, however, stood at 9.6 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees above normal, according to the Met Office.

Humidity levels ranged between 81% and 87%, the Met department reported. It has forecast partly cloudy skies for Wednesday, with surface winds predominantly blowing from the northwest at speeds below 8 km/h in the morning. These conditions are expected to bring smog or shallow fog across most areas and moderate fog in isolated regions.

Wind speeds are predicted to rise to 14-18 km/h in the afternoon, before reducing to less than 8 km/h by evening. Smog or shallow fog is also likely during the evening and night. The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi on Wednesday are expected to be around 17 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

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On Tuesday, Delhi’s 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 283, categorizing it as ‘poor,’ according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. This marked a decline from Monday’s AQI of 173 in the ‘moderate’ category and Sunday’s reading of 225.

The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 ‘good,’ 51-100 ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 ‘moderate,’ 201-300 ‘poor,’ 301-400 ‘very poor,’ 401-450 ‘severe,’ and above 450 ‘severe plus’.

(With inputs from PTI)