As northern India grapples with adverse weather conditions, Delhi is expected to witness a significant decline in temperatures this week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts the city’s minimum temperature could plummet to 5 degrees Celsius by Friday.
The IMD’s seven-day forecast highlights that the temperature dip will begin on Wednesday. On the same day, the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 16.2°C—2.8°C above normal. The minimum temperature stood at 10.5°C, 3.6°C higher than the seasonal average. Relative humidity levels fluctuated between 87% and 92% throughout the day.
Delhi’s air quality sees Improvement, GRAP-3 restrictions lifted
Amid falling temperatures, Delhi’s air quality has shown signs of improvement. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that the Air Quality Index (AQI) lingered in the ‘inferior’ category last week. Following improved wind speeds and favorable meteorological conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked restrictions under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi-NCR on Sunday.
However, measures under Stages 1 and 2 remain in effect. For reference, AQI levels are categorized as follows:
0-50: good, 51-100: satisfactory, 101-200: moderate, 201-300: poor, 301-400: very poor, 401-500: severe
Dense fog disrupts visibility
Heavy and dense fog blanketed Delhi early Tuesday, reducing visibility to as low as 150 meters and delaying 25 trains. The IMD reported visibility at Safdarjung was at a minimum of 500 meters, while Palam recorded visibility as low as 150 meters between 5:00 and 5:30 am. Conditions improved slightly by 8:30 am, with visibility at Palam reaching 700 meters.
(With PTI inputs)