Delhi on Saturday recorded the season’s lowest minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius, data released by the India Meteorological Department showed.
The Safdarjung observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded the figure on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Delhi Ridge observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal.
The Ayanagar observatory in south Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Cold wave conditions and heavy fog in the National Capital disrupted air and rail traffic movement. The Northern Railway said on Saturday morning that 32 trains are running late in the region due to fog. Meanwhile, 34 domestic departure flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi were delayed due to bad weather, reported ANI.
Meanwhile, the air quality index in the national capital also deteriorated to the severe category as heavy fog and lower temperature trapped pollutants. The air quality index in Delhi’s Anand Vihar dropped to 452 on Saturday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
The PM10 index, which measures the concentration of particulate matter of 10 microns diameter or less in the air, reached 386, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research or SAFAR. Levels of PM2.5 were at 216 micrograms per cubic meter. This falls under the “very poor” category.
SAFAR predicts that the PM10 index will rise to 406 on Sunday and 444 in the next three days, while the PM 2.5 Index will reach 227 on Sunday and 228 by Wednesday.
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