Delhi gripped by cold wave, minimum temperatures dip to 3 degrees; air quality 'poor'

Delhi woke up to biting cold on Monday (January 12), as minimum temperatures fell to around 3 degrees Celsius at several weather stations, marking the coldest January day since 2023.

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On January 16, 2023, the mercury had dropped to 1.4 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Minimum temperatures across Delhi

Station-wise data recorded at 8.30 am showed that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius, 4.2 notches below the seasonal average.

Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road logged 3 degrees Celsius.

Ridge recorded a minimum of 4.2 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar reported 3.2 degrees Celsius, the IMD data showed.

IMD predicts cold wave

The IMD said the maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to touch 19 degrees Celsius.

It said cold wave conditions are likely to persist over the national capital over the next two days.

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Delhi's air quality, meanwhile, remained poor.

'Poor' air quality

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 298 in the 'poor' category.

Around 20 monitoring stations recorded 'very poor' air quality, while the remaining stations were in the 'poor' category. Nehru Nagar recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 344.

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According to the CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.