Mercury dips to 12.7°C in Delhi, season’s lowest; AQI ‘poor’ at 278

The Met department attributed this drop to cold northwesterly winds blowing towards the capital, with clear skies at night also providing a cooling effect.

Mercury dipped below 15°C for the first time this winter in Delhi, with the minimum temperature recorded at 12.7°C on Thursday — three degrees below normal for this time of the season. It was 18.4°C a day earlier.

India Gate engulfed in a thick layer of smog as air quality remains ’poor’ in New Delhi. (ANI)

The Met department attributed this drop to cold northwesterly winds blowing towards the capital, with clear skies at night also providing a cooling effect. Forecasts show the minimum is likely to hover between 12°C and 14°C over the weekend, keeping the chill intact at night. Days will, meanwhile, continue to stay warm, with the maximum hovering between 27°C and 30°C.

“Cold northwesterly winds are now in effect after fresh snowfall in the hills, which is subsequently impacting the minimum temperature,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency.

The lowest minimum temperature so far this season was 15.8°C on October 26. Long-term data shows the minimum also tends to dip below 10°C by the end of November.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) stood at 278 (poor) at 9am. Low temperature negatively impacts AQI as it makes the atmosphere more stable, leading to stagnation. The average AQI was 202 at 4pm on Wednesday.