Minimum temp drops in Delhi; rains, winds improve air quality

The minimum temperature in the national capital dropped on Thursday morning and is expected to dip further over the weekend due to icy winds coming in from the hills, weather experts said.

The India Meteorological Department said the city recorded a minimum of 8.4 degrees Celsius, four notches less than that recorded on Wednesday (12.5 degrees Celsius).

A sunny day is expected ahead and the maximum is likely to hover around 15 degrees Celsius, it said.

Winds gusting up to 18 kilometers per hour and rains improved the air quality (AQI 220) and dispersed fog in the morning.

The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 10.8 mm rainfall overnight and the Palam weather station 10 mm, the IMD said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology) at private forecaster Skymet Weather, said the temperatures dropped 4 to 6 degrees Celsius across the northern plains.

The mercury will drop to 5 degrees Celsius over the weekend due to icy winds coming from the north, he said.

Another spell of rains is expected in Delhi-NCR around January 13-14 due to a fresh Western Disturbance, Palawat said.