New Delhi: The national capital recorded its lowest temperature of the season at 8.3 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, one notch below the season’s average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 23.7 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average.
Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 281, which falls in the ‘poor’ category while the air quality in neighbouring Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram were recorded at 264, 218 ,192, 221 and 268 respectively.
System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the government’s air quality forecast agency said from December 15, the quality of air is likely to improve due to relatively high wind speeds, but will remain within ‘poor’ or the lower end of ‘very poor’ category.
“For the next three days (December 12-14), winds are likely to be low to moderate. Partially cloudy conditions and moderate mixing layer height are causing moderate vertical mixing which is likely to keep air quality within ‘poor’ during noon time or ‘lower end of very poor’ during night and early morning hours for the next three days,” SAFAR stated on its portal.
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.
The AQI in the city at 8 am stood at 302. Neighbouring Faridabad (266), Ghaziabad (262), Greater Noida (224), Gurgaon (288) and Noida (254) recorded poor air quality.
The 24-hour average AQI in the national capital on Friday was 314.
The previous lowest temperature of the season in Delhi was recorded on Thursday at 8.4 degrees Celsius.
The weather office has predicted partly cloudy sky along with shallow fog for Sunday morning.
It said the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 24 degrees Celsius and eight degrees Celsius respectively.
Humidity levels oscillated between 95 per cent and 35 per cent on Saturday.