Rain Brings Back Chill In Delhi-NCR, Fog And Cold Winds Persist; AQI In ‘Poor’ Category

New Delhi: After this year’s first spell of rain on Friday, Delhi and the National Capital (NCR) witnessed a sharp shift in weather, with temperatures dropping significantly and a winter chill returning to the region.

The rainfall, triggered by a western disturbance over northwest India, brought thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds for several hours, marking the highest January rainfall in two years.

Between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, widespread showers were recorded, with Ridge receiving 17.4 mm, Palam 14 mm, Lodi Road 13.4 mm, Safdarjung 13.2 mm and Aya Nagar 11.5 mm. The downpour caused the maximum temperature to plunge by nearly 11°C, settling around 16°C.

By early Saturday, dense fog covered parts of the capital, reducing visibility. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cold surface winds would continue, keeping the chill intact even though conditions are expected to remain largely dry.

Weather Update

The IMD has forecast that cold conditions will persist in Delhi for the next three days. Maximum temperatures are likely to remain below 20°C, while minimum temperatures are expected to range from 6°C to 8°C after a drop of 5-6°C.

The weather office added that temperatures will remain appreciably below normal on January 23 and 24. Skies are expected to be partly cloudy on January 25 and 26, and generally cloudy on January 23, 24, 27 and 29.

Shallow to moderate fog is likely during morning hours over the next six days. Surface winds are expected to blow at 10-20 kmph. While light sunshine may appear later in the day, icy winds will continue to make conditions feel colder. The IMD said minimum temperatures are near normal, but maximum temperatures remain 2.3°C-4.3°C below normal.

AQI And Pollution Situation

After days of dense smog and hazardous pollution, Delhi-NCR saw a noticeable improvement in air quality following Friday’s rainfall.

However, pollution levels continue to remain in the ‘Poor’ category. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 249 at 9 AM on Saturday.

Air quality was in the ‘Poor’ category at 29 monitoring stations, while four stations each recorded ‘Very Poor’ and ‘Moderate’ levels. Several locations hovered close to the ‘Very Poor’ range, including Anand Vihar (around 300), Chandni Chowk (above 310), Wazirpur (above 300), Dwarka Sector 8 (near 300), Okhla Phase 2 (around 290) and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range (near 295).

Some areas showed marked improvement compared to previous days, with NSIT recording an AQI of 113, Lodhi Road 173 and Shadipur 187, reflecting relatively cleaner air.

Across NCR cities, AQI remained in the poor bracket, including Faridabad (278), Gurugram (248), Ghaziabad (275), Greater Noida (268) and Noida (277).

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