The mercury dipped sharply on Monday to the season’s lowest of 5.7°C, five degrees below normal, even as Delhi’s air quality deteriorated back to the “very poor” category. On Sunday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 8.3°C.
The minimum temperature of 5.7°C was five degrees below normal. (AP)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
Cold northwesterly winds and a fresh western disturbance across the Himalayas dipped the mercury. An air quality index (AQI) of 301 (very poor) was recorded at 9am, compared to 279 (poor) at 4pm on Sunday. The air quality improved a day earlier, snapping a 24-day streak of 300+ AQI days. Three “severe” days — from November 11 to November 13 — were also recorded in the same period.
HT Infographics
The AQI was expected to stay above 300 for the next few days. “We had strong northwesterly winds blowing from the mountains towards the plains, which helped in dispersion of pollutants not just across Delhi but Punjab and Haryana too. AQI began to improve from Sunday night onwards,” said Ashwary Tiwari, who runs IndiaMetSky on X.
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.
Home/India News/Mercury dips to season’s lowest of 5.7°C as Delhi’s air quality deteriorates
{{^htLoading}}
Advertisement
{{/htLoading}}
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
{{#usCountry}}{{/usCountry}}
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe
