Delhi temperature remains above normal, AQI picks up

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius (°C) and a minimum temperature of 11.4°C, which were five and four degrees respectively higher than the normal

New Delhi

Light fog in the morning gave way to a bright and sunny afternoon on Monday. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

There was bright sunshine, pleasant winds and light fog on Monday, all markings of a spring day as Delhi’s air quality picked up. But missing, by contrast, was a severe winter chill, a characteristic of January in the Capital, as temperatures continued to remain well above normal for this time of the year.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius (°C) and a minimum temperature of 11.4°C, which were five and four degrees respectively higher than the normal, as western disturbances continue to wreak havoc on the winter pattern.

“To have dipping temperatures, one needs northwesterly winds for multiple straight days. These are icy-cold winds and gradually lead to a dip in both maximum and minimum, but especially minimum. This month, we have been recording western disturbances one after another, which changes the wind direction,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet meteorology.

Palawat said Sunday and Monday’s rise in maximum temperature was down to the absence of strong northwesterly winds, coupled with clear skies. “We are now seeing bright sunshine and even the fog intensity has reduced,” he said, stating despite rain predicted this week, a significant dip in temperature is unlikely.

On Sunday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.1°C, which was the warmest January day in six years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The department forecasted similar weather to persist on Tuesday, before a western disturbance is expected to influence the region from Tuesday evening, and issued a yellow alert for light rain and moderate to dense fog.

Across the city, the highest maximum temperature was 24.8°C, recorded at the Palam observatory, and the lowest was 19°C, recorded at Najafgarh. The lowest minimum temperature on Monday was 10.4°C, recorded at Palam, and the highest was 13.6°C, recorded at Pitampura.

This is in stark contrast to the lowest maximum and minimum temperatures of the season—4.5°C on December 12, 2024, and 14.6°C on December 27, 2024.

In its seven-day forecast until January 26, IMD forecasted Delhi’s maximum to dip again following a spell of light rain on Wednesday and hover around 19°C. The minimum temperature is, meanwhile, expected to hover between 10°C and 12°C until Thursday, before dipping to around 8°C by the weekend.

Delhi witnessed shallow fog on Monday, with the lowest visibility at 600 metres at Safdarjung and 500 metres at Palam. IMD forecasted moderate fog for Tuesday, with moisture intrusion from the approaching western disturbance to once again lead to dense fog by Wednesday morning.

Delhi’s AQI improves

Clear skies and an increase in wind speed over the past 24 hours took Delhi’s air quality to the lower end of the ”very poor” category. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4pm on Monday was 314, an improvement of 54 points from the AQI of 368 recorded on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Forecasts by the Centre’s Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) showed the AQI is likely to be in the “poor” range on Tuesday, before possibly returning to “very poor” on Wednesday. The impact of rainfall on Wednesday is then likely to lead to another improvement on Thursday, it said.

“Winds slow down when a western disturbance approaches a region. However, the impact of rains will help Delhi’s AQI again,” Palawat said.