Delhi residents woke up to a cold morning as the minimum temperature dipped to 6.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which is two notches below the normal range. At 8:30 am, the relative humidity was recorded at 92 percent. The weather office forecasts a partly cloudy sky throughout the day.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to reach 23 degrees Celsius. Despite an improvement in the air quality index (AQI) from 295 to 270 compared to the previous day, the city's air quality remains in the poor category.
Delhi experienced a notable drop in temperature, contributing to a chilly morning for residents. The weather took a colder turn, marking a further decrease in temperatures across the city. As winter tightened its grip, residents woke up to cooler conditions, emphasising the seasonal shift in weather. Citizens are advised to bundle up as the city encounters a spell of colder mornings.
Following 12 consecutive days of "very poor" air quality, Delhi experienced an improvement in pollution levels, moving to the "poor" category. The Central Pollution Control Board's national bulletin revealed a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) reading of 286 on Tuesday, down from the previous day's 330 (very poor) due to strong surface winds.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipates a reduction in wind speed starting Wednesday. Forecasts from the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi indicate a likelihood of the air quality returning to "very poor" conditions.
Kuldeep Srivastava, a scientist at IMD, mentioned that surface winds reached up to 15 kmph on Monday and touched 18 kmph on Tuesday. However, wind speed is expected to drop below 10 kmph by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Delhi's minimum temperature, currently at 7.8 degrees Celsius, remains around the normal range for this period. The impact of a western disturbance in the Himalayas has led to a gradual rise in the minimum temperature since Friday. The western disturbance brings warmer southeasterly winds, moisture, and cloudiness, contributing to milder nights.
The maximum temperature in Delhi on Tuesday was 23.5°C, slightly above the normal range. IMD forecasts suggest that the minimum temperature will hover around 7 degrees Celsius for the next three days, with another western disturbance expected to influence the region from December 22. The approaching disturbance is predicted to bring cloudiness, preventing a significant drop in minimum temperature, and shallow fog is expected to persist over Delhi for the next six days.
The AQI scale categorises air quality as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
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