As wind speed slowed down over Delhi, the city’s air quality slipped into the “very poor” zone on Tuesday.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) reading at 6am was 350, in the “very poor” zone, as against 295 on Monday, which was in the “poor” category.
Scientists at the India Meteorological Department said that a western disturbance over the hills is likely to slow wind speed and also increase temperature in Delhi.
The minimum temperature in the national capital on Monday dropped to 6.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in November since 2003.
The lowest minimum temperature fell to 6.9°C on Sunday, which was then the lowest minimum November temperature since 2003.
On Monday, the Safdarjung Observatory, considered representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded a minimum of 6.3°C, five notches below normal. The maximum here settled at 26.2°C, normal for this time of the year.
“Such a low minimum temperature in November was earlier recorded on November 29, 2003, when it dropped to 6.1°C,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.
IMD officials have forecast a colder than normal winter for Delhi this year, with both minimum and maximum temperatures likely to remain at least two degrees below normal throughout the season.
This is mainly because of global factors such as La Nina, a global weather pattern linked to low minimum temperatures in northwest India.
“A fresh western disturbance affecting the Western Himalayan region from Monday will impact Delhi as well and the minimum temperature will rise by 2-3 degrees over the next couple of days. It is like to remain around 8-9°C over the next three days. After the WD passes, cold winds will again start blowing from the region and the mercury is again set to dip from November 27,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.
