NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday, with an AQI reading of 304 recorded at 4 pm, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. Earlier in the day, however, the capital saw a slight improvement when the AQI slipped to the ‘poor’ category, registering 299 in the morning.
Meanwhile, minimum temperatures in the city were reported to be markedly below normal (5.1°C or more) at certain isolated locations, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated in an official release. The agency has also forecast a cold wave for Friday (December 5). On Thursday, the minimum temperature settled at 5.6°C, which is 3.9 degrees below the season’s average, while the maximum temperature remained around 23°C.
A day earlier, on Wednesday (December 3), the AQI stood at 335, placing it firmly in the ‘very poor’ range. The city experienced a brief respite from polluted air on Sunday (November 30) and Monday (December 1), but conditions deteriorated again, slipping back into the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday (December 2).
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0-50 is ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.
Earlier on Tuesday, the IMD predicted that minimum temperatures in the national capital would fall by 2-3°C over the next three days. This alert came a day after Delhi recorded 5.7°C, marking the coldest morning of the season so far. The IMD noted that this was the lowest temperature recorded this winter, with the previous low at 8°C. Last year, the lowest minimum for December was 4.5°C, while in 2023 it was 4.9°C, and in 2022 it was 5°C.
TEMPERATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Delhi recorded the season’s lowest maximum temperature so far this winter
The max temperature settled at 23.1°C, which is 2.2°C below the normal for this time of the year