Delhi: The national capital experienced a sharp dip in temperature on Sunday, with the mercury falling to 15.8 degrees Celsius, marking the lowest October reading in the city over the past two years. At the same time, air pollution levels surged, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘very poor’ category.
Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app showed that the overall AQI in Delhi reached 324, up from 292 the previous day. Several areas of the capital, including Anand Vihar and Wazirpur, reported hazardous levels, with AQI readings of 429 and 400 respectively, classifying them in the ‘severe’ and ‘very poor’ brackets. In total, 28 monitoring stations recorded AQI levels above 300.
The CPCB classifies air quality as ‘good’ between 0–50, ‘satisfactory’ at 51–100, ‘moderate’ at 101–200, ‘poor’ at 201–300, ‘very poor’ at 301–400, and ‘severe’ at 401–500.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the minimum temperature was 1.4 degrees below normal for this time of year. In comparison, October 2023 had recorded a minimum of 15.9 degrees Celsius. The humidity in the city was measured at 66 percent in the morning.
The IMD has forecasted mostly clear skies during the day, with partly cloudy conditions expected by the evening or night. Daytime temperatures are likely to climb to around 30 degrees Celsius, offering some relief from the morning chill.
