Minimum dips in Delhi again as capital records lowest January AQI in four years
Strong icy northwesterly winds continued to influence Delhi’s weather on Sunday, pushing minimum temperatures lower while keeping air quality in the ‘moderate’ category for the second consecutive day.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 150 at 9am on Sunday, improving further from 193 at 4pm on Saturday. This marked Delhi’s lowest AQI reading for January in four years, the last such instance being January 9, 2022, when the AQI stood at 69.
The city’s minimum temperature dropped to 6.6°C on Sunday, about a degree below normal, compared with 7.6°C a day earlier. The minimum temperature is expected to remain in the range of 4-6°C on January 26 as cold northwesterly winds continue to blow from the upper Himalayan region, where fresh snowfall has been recorded.
Meteorologists, however, said the cold spell is likely to be short-lived. Another western disturbance is expected to affect the region from January 27, which could alter wind patterns and lead to a rise in minimum temperatures.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, forecasting one or two spells of light rain in the capital on January 27.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s maximum temperature stood at 18.2°C on Saturday, around two degrees below normal. It is expected to remain in a similar range on Sunday before rising marginally by 1-2°C on Monday.
