February starts cold in Delhi with high of 24.6°C and poor air quality forecast

NEw new new delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Delhi saw a colder take up to feb, compared to endure year, with the maximum temperature settling at 24.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.The maximum temperature on Sunday is lower than last year's 26.2 degrees Celsius while 2.3 notches above the seasonal average, according to official data.According to the weather department, the minimum temperature settled at 12.1 degrees Celsius, about 3.7 degrees above the season's average.At Safdarjung, the city's principal observatory, the minimum temperature settled at 12.1 degrees Celsius, while Palam recorded 10.6 degrees Celsius.Lodhi Road logged 11.8 degrees Celsius, the Ridge 12.1 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 11.6 degrees Celsius.Maximum temperatures in the city ranged from 22.6 to 24.6 degrees Celsius.Among the stations, Safdarjung recorded the highest maximum temperature at 24.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Ayanagar at 23.6 degrees Celsius and the Ridge at 23.6 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road logged a high of 23.7 degrees Celsius, and Palam recorded 22.6 degrees Celsius.The relative humidity stood at 82 per cent at 5.30 pm.According to the IMD, rainfall over northwest India, including Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, is likely to remain below the Long Period Average in February.Long Period Average refers to the average rainfall or temperature for a region, calculated using weather data from around thirty years, and is used as a benchmark for normal climatic conditions for a given period.The weather department has forecast above-normal minimum and maximum temperatures during the month, indicating fewer cold nights and warmer afternoons as winter conditions recede earlier than usual.Meanwhile, air quality in the national capital slipped in the "poor" category, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 265, which was about 315, indicating "very poor" during the day.According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi has forecast that the AQI is likely to remain in the 'very poor' range from February 1 to 3.The weather department has predicted moderate fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius, respectively.