Temperature to dip on Friday, air quality remains toxic

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) After experiencing a cold northern wind all through the day on Thursday, the national capital is likely to see a further drop in both minimum and maximum temperatures on Friday, the weatherman said.

The maximum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 19.1 degrees Celsius, four notches below the season's average, while the minimum temperature stood at 11.2 degrees.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature on Friday is likely to hover around 9 degrees Celsius and the maximum around 19 degrees.

"There will be shallow fog with slight drop in temperature," an IMD official said.

The humidity on Thursday, however, dropped helping the air quality to slightly improve despite low wind speed.

"At 5.30 p.m, the relative humidity was 49.4 per cent. The wind speed was 1.1 mps," the official said.

Wednesday's minimum temperature was recorded at 12 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, and the maximum temperature settled at 23.3 degrees, two notches below the average.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) at 4 p.m on Thursday was recorded at 265 units against 270 on Wednesday, both considered "poor" and on the verge of getting "very poor".

However, the average air quality of Delhi-NCR was "very poor", according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) real-time estimation based on pollutant concentration.

The major pollutant, PM2.5 or particles in the air with diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, across Delhi at 8 p.m was 138 units and across NCR 134 units -- over five times the international safe limits, and rated "very poor".

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Lodhi Road in central Delhi, and Dhirpur and Delhi University in north Delhi saw PM2.5 over 300 units, with "very poor" air quality.