The national capital shivered through another cold morning on Friday as temperatures plunged to 5 degrees Celsius, bringing biting winter conditions, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
Meanwhile, air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ range, with several parts of the city blanketed by a thick layer of smog.Adding to the chill, light drizzle was reported in several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Isolated showers between 6:30 am and 8 am dampened areas including Noida, Ghaziabad, Dadri, and nearby regions, intensifying the cold and making early morning hours particularly harsh.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is expected to remain under the grip of a sharp cold wave, with minimum temperatures hovering around 5 degree Celsius and maximum daytime temperatures likely to stay between 16 degree Celsius and 17 degree Celsius.
Safdarjung witnessed a notable dip in temperature on Thursday, recording a minimum of 5.8 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road experienced similar conditions with the mercury falling to 6.1 degrees Celsius.
Although rainfall generally helps improve air quality by settling dust particles, particularly PM2.5, the uneven and light nature of the drizzle had a limited impact this time. As a result, air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ category.
Several areas were blanketed by a thick layer of smog, while air quality across Delhi continued to range between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor,’ according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
CPCB readings indicated that Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 280, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category. Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCC) showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) was 328 at 9 am. On Thursday, the AQI had improved slightly to 279, compared to 302 recorded on Wednesday.
The cold spell brought biting temperatures during the early morning hours, forcing residents to bundle up as winter made its presence strongly felt across the city.
