Delhi weather update: Light rain lashes part of city amid dense fog, temperature to dip further by weekend; AQI remains ‘very poor’

Light rain affected several parts of the national capital on Friday morning, as a thick fog blanketed the city resulting in low visibility.

New Delhi: Several parts of Delhi witnessed light rain Friday morning, accompanied by dense fog that reduced visibility across the city. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature recorded on Friday morning was 12 degree Celsius and the maximum was recorded 20 degree Celsius. The IMD has forecasted thunderstorm with rain for Friday and Saturday in the national capital.

#WATCH | Delhi: Visuals from India Gate as the National Capital received rainfall today early in the morning.

The lowest recorded temperature is 12°C today, as per the IMD pic.twitter.com/fFO9P2cSEg

— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2024

However, despite the improved weather, the air quality index of Delhi remained in the “very poor” category, with an AQI of 371 at 7 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Areas like Anand Vihar, IGI Airport, Aya Nagar, Lodhi Road, ITO, Chandani Chowk and Punjabi Bagh recorded an AQI of 398, 340, 360, 345, 380, 315, and 386 respectively.

On December 24, the Central government’s air quality monitoring panel decided to revoke Stage IV (‘Severe+’) measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) due to the improvement in air quality. However, Stage I, II, and III measures will continue to curb further deterioration of air quality. The improvement in air quality was attributed to favourable meteorological conditions, including improved wind speed, according to forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).

In accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives, Stage IV measures were invoked on December 16 when the AQI level crossed the 400 mark. These measures were designed to control the severe pollution levels by imposing restrictions on industrial activities, construction, and the entry of non-essential trucks into Delhi.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of emergency steps implemented in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution, tailored to the severity of the Air Quality Index (AQI).

(With inputs from agencies)