Delhi witnessed an unusually cold October day on Friday, October 30, with the maximum temperature at Safdarjung plunging to 20.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded for the month since 1951. This comes a day after Delhi recorded its coldest October day in four years.
People walk along the Kartavya Path towards India Gate as the Air Quality Index (AQI) is recorded at 93 in the area, categorised as 'satisfactory' by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Video Grab )
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Top four coldest October days since 1951 are October 25, 1975 (21.5 degrees Celsius), October 31, 1961 (21.9 degree Celsius, October 18, 1971 (22.1 degree Celsius), and October 1, 1954 (22.2 degree Celsius).
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The interaction of a western disturbance with Cyclone Arnab brought isolated spells of rainfall across the city and in adjoining areas, including Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, Noida and Haryana's Gurugram. The rain resulted in a sharp drop in maximum temperatures.
Deep Dive
Why did Delhi record its coldest October day since 1951?
A western disturbance interacting with Cyclone Arnab brought rainfall and overcast conditions to Delhi, sharply lowering daytime temperatures. Safdarjung recorded a maximum of 20.7°C on October 30, the lowest October maximum there since 1951.
How clean was Delhi’s air in October 2026?
Delhi’s average AQI for October was 167, the lowest October average since 2015, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
How much rain did Delhi receive in October 2026, and how did it rank?
Safdarjung recorded 123.3 mm of rain during October through October 30. That made it the observatory’s fourth-wettest October since 1951.
Delhi also recorded its cleanest October air in more than a decade. The national capital recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 167 this October, the lowest for the month since 2015, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Sixth-wettest October day since 1951
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Delhi also recorded its cleanest October air in more than a decade. The national capital recorded an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 167 this October, the lowest for the month since 2015, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Sixth-wettest October day since 1951
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The Safdarjung observatory, the primary and official reference weather station for New Delhi, recorded 61.4 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday. This was the sixth-highest 24-hour rainfall recorded in October at the observatory since 1951.
The highest 24-hour rainfall for October at Safdarjung remains 172.7 mm, recorded on October 1, 1954. The second-highest was 110.9 mm on October 9, 1956, followed by 87.9 mm on October 18, 2021.
Friday’s rainfall also pushed Safdarjung’s cumulative October precipitation to 123.3 mm, making October 2026 the fourth-wettest October at the observatory since 1951, based on rainfall recorded up to October 30.
The wettest October remains 1954, when Safdarjung received 238.3 mm of rainfall, followed by 236.2 mm in 1956 and 128.6 mm in 2022.
The minimum temperature at Safdarjung stood at 17.2 degrees Celsius on Friday, 1.1 degrees above normal, according to the IMD.
The rainfall and overcast conditions brought a significant change in Delhi’s weather, with the capital experiencing a distinctly wintry feel towards the end of October.
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Home/India News/Delhi records coldest October day since 1951, cleanest air for month in over a decade
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