Delhi air quality returns to ‘poor’ category; minimum temperature at 8°C

Forecasts show the minimum is expected to dip by another 1-2°C in the next 24 hours, likely touching 6°C by Thursday

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated back to the ‘poor’ category on Tuesday, even as cold northwesterly winds persisted in the region, leading to a further drop in mercury.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was measured as 224 at 8 am in the national Capital. (HT photo)

Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) stood at 229 (poor) at 9am, which was a rise from a reading of 186 (moderate) at 4pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s minimum temperature was recorded at 8°C, two degrees below normal. It was 8.2°C a day earlier. Forecasts show the minimum is expected to dip by another 1-2°C in the next 24 hours, likely touching 6°C by Thursday.

Meteorological experts said a drop in both maximum and minimum temperature is likely in over the next three days as the impact of fresh snowfall in the mountains is felt in the plains too.

Delhi recorded its lowest maximum of the season so far on Monday, when it was clocked at 21.6°C — three degrees below normal. Prior to this, the lowest maximum was 23.5°C on November 17.

Despite sunshine, northwesterly should keep maximum below normal, forecasts show.

Delhi’s average AQI at 9am was calculated on the basis of 38 ambient air quality monitoring stations. While none were in the ‘very poor’ range, 28 were in ‘poor’ and the rest ‘moderate’. The highest average AQI was 297 at Jahangirpuri.

Monday was the fourth ‘moderate’ air day so far in December, which is the highest number of such days recorded in the month of December since the AQI was launched in 2015.

Previously, three moderate days each were recorded in December 2022, 2019, and 2015. The AQI has never gone below the moderate category in December, with the lowest reading being 140 on December 26, 2015. Delhi recorded moderate AQI on December 4 (178), December 5 (165) and December 6 (197).