Delhi Weather: Cold Wave Grips Delhi, Light Rain Intensifies Chill, Temperature Dropping To 7°C Low

Delhi woke up to a blanket of fog on a chilly Monday morning, with temperatures plunging to a low of 7.0 degrees Celsius. The biting cold was further accentuated by light rainfall across the city, signaling the onset of a cold wave that has firmly taken hold of the national capital. This drop in temperature came after predictions from the weather office of a cloudy day coupled with light rain, expecting temperature variations from a high of 24 degrees Celsius to the aforementioned low.

In the midst of the cold wave, Delhi's air quality saw a slight improvement, moving from 'severe' to 'very poor' as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 389 on Monday. This improvement follows a period of deteriorating air quality, where on Sunday, the AQI had escalated to 'severe' at 409, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Just the day before, on Saturday, the air quality was categorized as 'very poor' with an AQI of 370.

Delhi's Air Quality

The AQI scale helps in understanding air quality, where a reading between zero to 50 is rated as 'good', 51 to 100 is 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 as 'moderate', 201 to 300 falls under 'poor', 301 to 400 is considered 'very poor', and 401 to 500 is labeled as 'severe'. This weekend, the capital experienced extreme levels of PM2.5, the fine particulate matter that can deeply penetrate the lungs and pose severe health risks. Remarkably, 37 out of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi reported air quality within the 'severe plus' category, with some areas experiencing AQI levels soaring up to 474.

To combat the severe pollution levels, Delhi has enacted Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). This comprehensive plan enforces rigorous anti-pollution measures including a total ban on construction activities and restrictions on the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into the city, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution on the city's air quality. These steps are essential in addressing the pollution crisis that plagues the national capital, especially during the winter months when cold waves intensify the pollution levels.

As Delhi grapples with the challenges of a cold wave and pollution, it is crucial for the city to adhere to the measures outlined in the GRAP to ensure the well-being of its residents. With the combined efforts of the government and the community, there is hope for improving air quality and weather conditions in the capital.