Delhi records season’s lowest min temp of 3.3°C today as air quality worsens

The air quality on Thursday morning dropped into the “very poor” category with the AQI touching 331. Air quality had remained in the “poor” category on Wednesday (290) and Tuesday (265)

The capital woke up to another cold morning on Thursday as India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius at 8.30am, 4 degrees below normal..

Representational image. (ANI)

On Wednesday, the minimum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung observatory, which is considered the official marker for the city, fell to 3.5°C. The maximum temperature was 16.4°C, four notches below the season’s normal.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said, “On Thursday, the minimum temperature is expected to go down to around 3°C. From Friday, however, the temperature will start increasing,” Srivastava said, adding that minimum temperature is likely to reach around 4 degrees Celsius bringing some relief. The IMD also forecasted rain and higher minimum temperatures throughout the rest of the week.

“A fresh western disturbance is likely to hit the western Himalayan region around January 4, which may bring light rains and thundershowers to the plains, including Delhi,” he said.

Meanwhile, the air quality on Thursday morning dropped into the “very poor” category with the Air Quality Index touching 331, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recordings. Air quality had remained in the “poor” category on Wednesday (290) and Tuesday (265) .

VK Soni, head of IMD’s environment monitoring and research centre, said the air quality will deteriorate from Wednesday night and reach the “very poor” zone. “For the next two days, the AQI is expected to remain in the very poor zone. But from Saturday, with the impact of an active western disturbance passing over Delhi, the air quality will show a significant improvement,” Soni said.

The Union ministry of earth science’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), also said “calm surface winds with low boundary layer height will lead to extremely low ventilation conditions on December 31 and January 1”.