Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Delhi experienced an unusually chilly day for the month of March after continuous rain and strong winds swept through the city, bringing both a sharp drop in temperatures and a welcome improvement in air quality. The capital recorded its coldest March day in six years on Friday, alongside its cleanest air in roughly five months.
At Safdarjung, the city’s main weather station, the maximum temperature settled at 21.7 degrees Celsius, which is nearly 10 notches below the seasonal average.
advertisement
This marks the lowest daytime temperature recorded in March since March 8, 2020, when it had dipped slightly further to 21.2 degrees Celsius.
Similar conditions were observed across other parts of the city. Palam registered a high of 21.2 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 21.0 degrees Celsius, Ridge 21.1 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar 21.5 degrees Celsius—each location recording temperatures significantly below normal levels for this time of year.
RAIN MAKES IT COOL
The cooler weather was accompanied by steady rainfall. Around 7 mm of rain was recorded during the day, pushing the month’s cumulative rainfall to 16.2 mm so far.
This makes the current March the wettest in the past three years, although still far from the much higher totals seen in 2023.
Rainfall was fairly consistent across monitoring stations, with Safdarjung and Palam each receiving 1.4 mm after 8:30 am, while Lodhi Road, Ridge, and Ayanagar reported slightly lower amounts.
Other areas such as Mayur Vihar saw more intense showers, recording 2.5 mm.
Rainfall activity tapered off as the day progressed, with only light precipitation recorded in the afternoon and none later in the evening.
Over a 24-hour period ending Friday morning, cumulative rainfall ranged between roughly 5.4 mm and 7.4 mm across various stations in the capital.
DELHI BREATHES EASY, THANKS TO RAIN
In addition to lowering temperatures, the rain significantly improved Delhi’s air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 93, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category on Friday.
This is the first time in about 161 days—over five months—that the city has experienced such relatively clean air.
The last similar reading was recorded in early October 2025. According to standard AQI classifications, values between 51 and 100 are considered satisfactory, indicating relatively low health risks compared to higher pollution levels.
WHAT THE FORECAST SAYS
Looking ahead, the improved air quality may not last long. Forecasts suggest that the AQI could return to the ‘moderate’ category over the next few days.
Weather conditions are also expected to stabilise, with rainfall activity decreasing across Delhi and much of North India. The recent spell of wet weather is likely to give way to partly cloudy skies and drier conditions.
For Saturday, temperatures are predicted to rise slightly, with a minimum of around 14 degrees Celsius and a maximum nearing 27 degrees Celsius.
Despite the gradual warming trend during the day, mornings and nights may continue to feel cooler than usual for March.
Elsewhere in North India, regions including Punjab and Haryana also experienced rainfall and below-normal temperatures.
Across the country, a mixed temperature pattern is expected in the coming days, with several cities likely to see cooler-than-usual mornings and nights even as daytime conditions begin to normalise.
– Ends
Must Watch
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
