The national capital experienced a relatively mild winter morning on Saturday, with the minimum temperature recorded at 8.6 degrees Celsius, just above the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD's day forecast indicated that the maximum temperature for the day is expected to reach around 15 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will hover around 9 degrees Celsius. The weather forecast described the day as ranging from a "cold day to severe cold day."
In the early hours, the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport encountered dense fog, causing visibility to be restricted to 50 meters to 100 meters between 12:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. The IMD noted a decrease in fog density over northwest India, including Delhi, compared to the same time yesterday. The visibility recorded at 5:30 a.m. was Safdarjung-500, Palam-1100; Haryana: Ambala-200, Hissar-500.
However, despite the milder weather conditions, the air quality in Delhi remained in the 'very poor' category at various monitoring stations across the city. In the Anand Vihar area at 9 a.m., PM2.5 levels were recorded at 312 ('very poor'), and PM10 reached 168 ('moderate'), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Air Quality Index (AQI) categorizes air quality levels, where a range between zero and 50 is considered 'good,' 51-100 'satisfactory,' 101-200 'moderate,' 201-300 'poor,' 301-400 'very poor,' and 401-500 'severe.'
At the IGI Airport Terminal 3, PM2.5 levels were measured at 316 ('very poor'), and PM10 stood at 182 ('moderate'). Despite the relatively mild temperatures, the persistent 'very poor' air quality serves as a reminder of ongoing environmental challenges in the city.
(With Agency Inputs)
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