Delhi shivers at 8.5 deg C, max temperature also dips

New Delhi, Jan 18: Delhi reeled under very cold conditions as the mercury fell on Tuesday, with parts of the city registering a drop in maximum temperature by even six notches below the normal.

The minimum temperature settled at 8.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the normal, according to official data.

On Monday morning too, the Safdarjung Observatory had recorded almost a similar reading with 8.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above the average.

However, the maximum temperature reading dipped in the evening as well, making the weather even colder, as people struggled to keep themselves warm in tough winter conditions that have prevailed over the last few days.

The Safdarjung Observatory, whose reading is considered as the official marker for the city, registered a high of 15.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, four notches below the normal.

However, at Palam Observatory, the maximum temperature reading was 13.8 degrees Celsius, six notches below the normal, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

At Lodhi, Ayanagar and Ridge observatories, the dip from the normal was five notches, for maximum temperature readings.

On Monday, the city had also shivered in biting cold as it had registered a high of 16.1 degrees Celsius, four notches below the normal.

As per the IMD, when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 deg C and maximum temperature is at least 4.5 deg C below the normal, it is said to be a 'cold day'.

The relative humidity at 8:30 AM stood at 90 per cent, while it was 77 per cent in the evening.

The weatherman has forecast shallow fog on Wednesday and the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to hover around 11 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius respectively.

The air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded in the 'very poor' category (339) in the morning, and it remained in the same category (347) around 7:20 PM, data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed.

The AQI reading on Monday evening, around 4 PM had also stood in the same category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe. PTI