New Delhi :
Delhi registered a ”cold day” on Sunday as the maximum temperature in the city dipped to 15.3 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The minimum temperature also slipped to 5.7 degrees Celsius, and is likely to increase over the next two days.
A “cold day” is when the minimum temperature is less than 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
The mercury is likely to rise to 8 degrees Celsius on Monday as a result of change in the wind direction.
An IMD official said easterly winds are blowing in Delhi which are not as cold as northwesterly ones coming in from the snow-clad western Himalayas.
Hence, the minimum temperature is likely to increase by one to two degrees Celsius.
Favourable wind speed aided in dispersion of pollutants, improving the city’s air quality slightly.
The city’s 24-hour average AQI was 347. It was 407 on Saturday, 460 on Friday, 429 on Thursday, and 354 on Wednesday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ”good”, 51 and 100 ”satisfactory”, 101 and 200 ”moderate”, 201 and 300 ”poor”, 301 and 400 ”very poor”, and 401 and 500 ”severe”.
Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) remained in the ”severe” category for three days on the trot till Saturday due to “extremely unfavourable” conditions for dispersion of pollutants.
