Cold grip loosens as Capital gets slight respite; AQI likely to worsen

New Delhi: After experiencing five consecutive days of cold wave conditions, Delhi saw a slight improvement in temperatures on Friday, although the air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a maximum temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius for Saturday and issued a yellow alert for dense fog. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to range from 7 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius, respectively.

“Looking ahead, minimum temperatures are expected to begin rising gradually from January 17 to January 20, with light winter rainfall activity likely over the next few days,” Mahesh Palawat from Skymet Weather said.

He further added that another cold spell is forecast between January 23 and January 26, when temperatures are expected to dip again to icy levels. The national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 4.3 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 3.3 notches below normal, according to the IMD. The maximum temperature settled at 22.5 degrees Celsius, around three notches above normal. Among other stations, Palam recorded a minimum of 4.7 degrees Celsius, 2.8 degrees Celsius below normal, while Lodhi Road also logged 4.7 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees Celsius below normal.

The Ridge station reported a relatively higher minimum of 6.0 degrees Celsius, though it was still 3.5 degrees Celsius below normal, and Ayanagar recorded 4.3 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal. In terms of maximum temperatures, Safdarjung and Ayanagar recorded 22.5 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road logged 21.6 degrees Celsius, the Ridge reported 21.0 degrees Celsius, and Palam had a lower maximum of 19.0 degrees Celsius.