Air quality dips to ‘poor’ category in Delhi, rain likely today

According to the IMD bulletin, “shallow to moderate fog” during morning hours is expected from January 28. With another fresh Western Disturbance slated to affect Northwest India on January 30, the Capital is unlikely to see clear, sunny skies anytime soon.

Air quality is also expected to improve due to windy conditions. The bulletin warns of gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph, particularly during the early morning and forenoon hours on Tuesday, with additional spells of rain likely extending from afternoon into the night.

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘Moderate’ category on January 27 and 28, before deteriorating to ‘Poor’ on January 29. The outlook for the subsequent six days also indicates that air quality is likely to stay in the ‘Poor’ category, it said.

Meanwhile, the incoming cloud cover will influence temperatures as well. The IMD forecasts minimum temperatures to hover between 8°C and 10°C for most of the coming week, close to the long-term average of 8.4°C for this time of year. On January 28, the minimum could rise to 11–13°C, slightly above normal.

However, any relief from the cold will be offset by chilly daytime conditions. Cloud cover and wet spells are expected to suppress the daytime mercury, with maximum temperatures likely to remain at 17–19°C, below the seasonal normal for the next seven days.

The current weather shift is being driven by a Western Disturbance seen as a trough in the middle and upper tropospheric westerlies, along with an induced cyclonic circulation persisting over Haryana and its neighbourhood areas.

On Monday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 23.2°C at Safdarjung, while the minimum settled at 4.2°C, more than four degrees below normal. Ayanagar in the city remained the coldest pocket, recording a low of 3.6°C.