Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Residents of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) were caught off guard early January 9 morning as an unexpected spell of rain swept across the region, deepening the ongoing cold wave. Despite the showers, air pollution levels continued to remain dangerously high, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded in the ‘very poor’ category.
Dark clouds enveloped the capital in the early hours before rainfall began around 6 a.m. in several parts of Delhi. The rain was moderate to heavy initially and later turned light. Cold northwesterly winds accompanied the showers, further intensifying the chill. Gurugram also experienced rainfall, even though no specific precipitation warning had been issued for the city.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi’s minimum temperature on January 9 is expected to remain around 5 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature may hover between 16 and 17 degrees Celsius. On January 8, the Safdarjung weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius, nearly one degree below the seasonal average, making it the coldest day of the winter so far. Lodhi Road registered a similar low of 6.1 degrees Celsius.
Although rainfall is generally expected to improve air quality, pollution levels showed little improvement. As per official data, the AQI stood at approximately 321 at 8 a.m., firmly within the ‘very poor’ range. Several monitoring stations across the capital continued to report alarming readings.
