Delhi Shivers As Minimum Temperature Hovers Below 10°C, Air Quality Degrades

Delhiites got a brief respite from the teeth teetering cold as the minimum temperature today settled at 9.6 degrees Celsius as compared to 6.1 degrees Celsius yesterday.

People sit around a bonfire to warm themselves on a cold winter morning

Source : PTI

Delhiites on Saturday experienced a slight respite from the chilly mornings that they had been waking up to in the past few days. The minimum temperature on Saturday morning was 9.6 degrees Celsius, according to India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data. The minimum temperature was recorded at 6.1 degrees Celsius on Friday. Nonetheless, the mercury being at the single digit forced people to take refuge in night shelters. Many were seen sitting around bonfires in a bid to keep themselves warm in the cold weather. 

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, the temperature today at 5:30 am was recorded at 12.2 degrees Celsius and the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 447 ('Severe' category). Due to the cold and lack of wind, air pollution has been on the rise. Because of this, the Delhi government banned the use of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital on Friday as part of the Graded Response Action Plan Stage III (GRAP- III) measures. The Central government announced a ban on non-essential construction activity yesterday. 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, said that unfavourable meteorological conditions such as fog and haze with low wind speed are the prime causes behind this sudden spike in Delhi's daily average air quality index (AQI).

A thin layer of fog was seen engulfing the city this morning as well. 

#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of fog spread across as cold wave grips the city

(Visuals from AIIMS) pic.twitter.com/hjzOGIwV5E

— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2023

People near the Lodhi Estate area in Delhi gathered around the fire.

#WATCH | Delhi: People gather around fire as temperature dips in further.

(Visuals from Lodhi Estate) pic.twitter.com/kv4odyP2cJ

— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2023

Apart from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur is also gripped by cold. A thick layer of fog was seen covering Kanpur's skyline this morning.

#WATCH | Light fog covers parts of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur pic.twitter.com/AztITAPBWV

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) December 23, 2023