In a positive development for the national capital's air quality, Delhi recorded its lowest Air Quality Index (AQI) of 2025 on Friday, with an average AQI of 121, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily AQI bulletin.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) highlighted that this is the best air quality recorded in the months of January and February over the past three years, marking a significant improvement since 2023. The drop in pollution levels comes as a relief to residents, who have long struggled with deteriorating air quality, particularly during the winter months.
Notably, 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 is "severe".
Delhi records warmest February night in 74 years
On Thursday, Delhi recorded its warmest February night in 74 years, with the minimum temperature at Safdarjung reaching 19.5 degrees celsius -- the highest for the month in the period between 1951to 2025, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 19.5 degrees celsius today, February 27, 2025. This is the highest minimum temperature ever recorded for February at Safdarjung between 1951 and 2025,” the IMD said, adding that data prior to 1951 was unavailable.
Meanwhile, according to past records, the previous highest minimum temperature for February was 19 degrees celsius on February 25, 2015, making it the second highest on record. This was followed by 18.6 degrees celsius in 1973, 18.5 degrees celsius on February 20, 2015, 18.2 degrees celsius in 1992 and 18.0 degrees celsius in 1988, which ranked as the fifth highest.
January 2025 was warmest on record
The planet experienced its warmest January on record last month despite the development of La Nina, a climate pattern that usually brings cooler global temperatures, the European climate agency said. This comes on the heels of the Earth experiencing its hottest year on record in 2024, also the first to see global average temperatures rise 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2025 recorded an average temperature of 13.23 degrees Celsius, 0.09 degrees warmer than the previous hottest January (2024) and 0.79 degrees above the 1991-2020 average. Scientists also found that the Earth's temperature in January was 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. Global temperatures have stayed above the 1.5-degree mark for 18 of the last 19 months.
(With inputs from agencies)