A noticeable seasonal shift has begun across the national capital, bringing a gentle chill during late night and early dawn hours that has prompted many residents to unpack light woollens. A shallow veil of haze lingered over parts of the metropolis on Saturday morning, temporarily curbing road visibility for early travellers. The blanket lifted steadily as daylight progressed, making way for clear conditions and a comfortable rise in daytime warmth. Official meteorological outlooks indicate that Delhi's skies are slated to remain broadly cloudless across the coming days.
Observatory Readings Across the City
At the Safdarjung base station, the minimum temperature settled at 16.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday. While this reading sat 0.1 degrees above the seasonal baseline, it reflected a one-degree drop compared to the previous day's tally. Meanwhile, daytime mercury climbed to 27.9 degrees Celsius, which stood 3.1 degrees lower than the typical seasonal benchmark.
Variations were evident across regional monitoring points: Palam registered a night-time low of 15.5 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road saw 16.2 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar logged 16.7 degrees Celsius. For peak daytime heat, Palam touched 26 degrees Celsius, whereas Lodhi Road climbed to 27.8 degrees Celsius. The city stayed completely dry through the daylight period.
Early Visibility Drops and Rising Air Index
Morning mist briefly impacted line-of-sight in select pockets on Saturday. Visibility readings dropped to 500 metres around 6:30 am in the vicinity of Safdarjung, whereas Palam saw clarity restricted to roughly 800 metres before conditions improved. Alongside shifting temperatures, local air quality registered a dip. Central Pollution Control Board metrics showed the capital's average air quality index touch 117 at 4 pm on Saturday, moving into the moderate band. This came after a cleaner reading of 60 recorded at the corresponding hour on Friday, which had kept the city in the satisfactory tier.
Forecast for the Days Ahead
Weather projections indicate Sunday's maximum temperature will hover between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius, with night readings expected in the range of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. While clear skies will dominate daylight hours over the next few days, early mornings and late evenings will continue to carry a crisp seasonal nip. The downward temperature trend follows a spell of early morning rain and overcast conditions that swept across Delhi and surrounding border towns early on Friday.
