Delhi records above-normal temp; air quality remains in moderate category

NEW DELHI: With clear skies on Thursday, the maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 28.4 degrees Celsius, 3.4 notches above normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The minimum temperature in the Capital settled at 12.2 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.

The humidity levels fluctuated between 17 and 42 and per cent during the day. The weather department has forecast cloudy sky for Friday, with mist likely in the morning hours.

The predominant surface wind is expected to be from the northwest direction, with a wind speed of 4-6 kmph during morning hours.

The wind speed will gradually increase thereafter, reaching 10-12 kmph from the northwest direction in the afternoon, the IMD said.

The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi on Friday are expected to settle around 30 and 13 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to the IMD.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 124, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

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’.

Meanwhile, a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) highlighted the severity of winter air pollution in India, revealing that 173 out of 238 cities recorded PM2.5 levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 40 µg/m³.

Not a single city met the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³, underscoring the widespread air quality crisis,

the report said.

Delhi emerged as the most polluted city during the winter of 2024-25, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 159 µg/m³, the report said.