NEW DELHI: Delhi is set to witness colder days ahead as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The temperatures are likely to dip further in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that the city’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category.
According to the CPCB, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital stood at 280 at 4 pm on Thursday. Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51–100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 as ‘moderate’, 201–300 as ‘poor’, 301–400 as ‘very poor’, and 401–500 as ‘severe’.
The IMD has forecast moderate fog at a few places and dense fog at isolated locations during the morning hours on Friday. The minimum temperature is likely to remain between 5 and 7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to range between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. A yellow alert has also been issued for dense fog on Friday.
Delhi recorded a low of 5.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the third-lowest minimum temperature this winter. People experienced a sharp chill throughout the day as maximum temperatures remained below normal across all monitoring stations. Among all stations, Palam emerged as the coldest, recording a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius. Ridge and Ayanagar both recorded a minimum of 5.8 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.
The Safdarjung observatory, which serves as Delhi’s base weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches below normal. The maximum temperature settled at 17.5 degrees Celsius, around 1.5 degrees below the seasonal average.
Delhi recorded its first cold day of the year on January 6, when the maximum temperature plunged to 15.7 degrees Celsius, 3.3 degrees below normal, while the minimum settled at 7.6 degrees Celsius.