Capital feels the chill — and the choke
New Delhi: The national capital experienced its coldest morning of the season on Thursday, with the mercury dipping to 18.1 degrees Celsius, marking the onset of a mild winter chill. However, the temperature drop coincided with a decline in air quality, as several parts of the city reported pollution levels in the ‘very poor’ category.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thursday’s minimum temperature was the lowest recorded so far this season, while the maximum settled at 32.9 degrees Celsius, marginally below the normal for this time of year. The IMD has predicted mainly clear skies for Friday, with temperatures likely to hover around 19 degrees Celsius at night and 31 degrees Celsius during the day.
Comparatively, the onset of winter chill has arrived a little later than last year. In 2024, the city’s temperature dipped below 20 degrees Celsius on October 12, touching 18.6 degrees Celsius. In 2023, Delhi recorded a similar minimum of 18.3 degrees Celsius as early as October 3, showing a gradual shift in seasonal transition patterns over the years.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate. The city’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 245 on Thursday, placing it in the ‘poor’ category for the third day in a row. Out of 38 monitoring stations across the Capital, five reported ‘very poor’ air quality levels. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 359, followed by Wazirpur (350), Dwarka Sector 8 (313), DU North Campus (307), CRRI Mathura Road (307), and Jahangirpuri (301), according to data from the CPCB. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast that the pollution levels are likely to remain in the ‘poor to very poor’ range over the next few days. The CPCB categorizes AQI between 0–50 as ‘good’, 51–100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 as ‘moderate’, 201–300 as ‘poor’, 301–400 as ‘very poor’, and 401–500 as ‘severe’.
Data from the Decision Support System indicated that vehicular emissions were the largest contributor to Delhi’s pollution on Thursday, accounting for nearly
18.7 per cent of total emissions. Satellite imagery also revealed early signs of stubble burning, with 12 incidents detected in Punjab, 3 in Haryana, and 132 in UP, potentially adding to the region’s worsening air quality in the days ahead.
