Mercury drops to 8.4 deg C, air quality improves as cold winds sweep the Capital

On 14 December the minimum temperature in the National Capital dropped to 8.4 degrees Celsius as cold winds swept the city and air quality also improved to the “moderate” category due to the strong winds.

The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 22 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said. On Sunday, the city had recorded a maximum of 20.7 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.

The minimum temperature is set to drop further as icy cold winds from the snow-laden western Himalayas continue to blow towards the plains.

Delhi’s air quality, which was “very poor” on Sunday, improved significantly to the “moderate” category on Monday morning. The city’s air quality index (AQI) was 169 at 10 am. The 24-hour average AQI was 305 on Sunday and 356 on Saturday.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.