A sharp, cold breeze swept through Delhi on Wednesday, sending an early shiver across the city. People stepped out in light jackets and shawls, a rare sight for early October. The cold northwesterly winds from the hills dragged down temperatures and signalled the arrival of winter ahead of time.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi’s main weather station at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 26.5°C, which is eight degrees below normal. The low temperature marks it as one of the coldest October days in recent years.
The minimum temperature stood at 20.3°C, also slightly below the seasonal average. Several parts of the city recorded even lower temperatures.
The Ridge area in north Delhi was the coldest at 17.6°C, followed by Palam at 18.4°C, marking a sharp dip that made many residents reach for warm clothes earlier than expected.
An IMD official said that as the influence of the recent western disturbance faded, skies were expected to clear up, bringing slightly warmer days.
“However, the cold northwesterly winds and clearer skies will continue to make nights distinctly chilly,” the official added.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet Weather, explained that the chill was due to winds flowing in from the mountains, where fresh snowfall had been reported.
“The maximum temperature may rise by 2-3 degrees by Thursday, while the minimum could dip slightly. The night chill will likely persist till the weekend,” he said. The IMD forecast suggests that the minimum temperature will hover between 18°C and 20°C till Thursday, while the maximum may
gradually climb to around 34°C by Sunday. Meanwhile, the same system that brought rain and wind has also improved Delhi’s air quality.
For the second consecutive day, the city’s air remained in the ‘satisfactory’ category, with a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 81 at 4 pm, compared to 73 a day earlier, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted that air quality may deteriorate slightly in the coming days but will remain in the ‘moderate’ range till the weekend.
According to CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is ‘good’, 51 and 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 is ‘moderate’, and anything above 200 indicates worsening pollution levels.
