Temp remains above normal, AQI improves

Unusual winter heat

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: There was bright sunshine, pleasant winds and light fog on Monday, all the makings of a spring day as Delhi's air quality improved. But missing, by contrast, was a severe winter chill, a characteristic of January in the Capital, as temperatures continued to remain well above normal for this time of the year.

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius (°C) and a minimum temperature of 11.4°C, which were five and four degrees respectively higher than the normal, as western disturbances continue to wreak havoc on the winter pattern.

"To have dipping temperatures, one needs northwesterly winds for multiple straight days. These are icy-cold winds and gradually lead to a dip in both maximum and minimum, but especially minimum. This month, we have been recording western disturbances one after another, which changes the wind direction," said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet meteorology.