Warm and Sunny Day In Delhi, But Air Quality Takes A Hit

New Delhi: Delhi experienced a warm and sunny Sunday, with temperatures soaring to 27.4 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal. The temperature recorded on Sunday was the highest temperature recorded so far this year, surpassing the 27 degrees Celsius recorded on January 31. Despite the rise in daytime temperatures, the minimum temperature dipped to 7.8 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal for this time of year.

Meanwhile, the decrease in wind speed pushed Delhi's air quality back into the 'poor' category, with the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 227 at 4 pm on Sunday. This is a major jump from the 152 ('moderate') recorded at the same time on Saturday. Data from 38 out of 39 air quality monitoring stations showed that PM2.5 was the dominant pollutant across the city.

Forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) suggest that warm conditions will persist until Tuesday, with the maximum temperature likely to reach 28 degrees Celsius. The Centre's Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) indicates that air quality will remain in the 'poor' range until Tuesday. However, the AQI will likely improve to 'moderate' on Wednesday.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 ('good'), 51-100 ('satisfactory'), 101-200 ('moderate'), 201-300 ('poor'), 301-400 ('very poor'), and above 400 ('severe').

As winter gradually transitions into spring, temperatures in Delhi could approach 30 degrees Celsius by the end of February, according to meteorologists. 

Last year, the highest temperature recorded in February was 29.7 degrees Celsius on February 19. The all-time highest February temperature in Delhi was 34.1 degrees Celsius, recorded on February 26, 2006, according to IMD records.