Delhi’s minimum temperature remained below five degree Celsius for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.The Safdarjung Observatory, which is considered official representative for the data , recorded minimum of 4.4 degree Celsius, three notches below normal.
However shallow fog reduced visibility to 1,000 meters at Safdarjung and 800 meters in the Palam area, Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre,said.
Meanwhile, the air quality also improved due to surface -level wind speed helping to disperse accumulated pollutants.
The values of primary Suspended Particulate Matters ( SPMs) - PM 10 and 2.5 recorded 288 and 164 micrograms per cubic and the overall Air Quality Index ( AQI ) settled at 334 on the National Ambient Air Quality Index ( NAAQI ).
According to SAFAR’s short range forecast, Surface-level winds are high and West southwesterly. Good surface winds helped to disperse accumulated pollutants. The surface winds are likely to slow down for a shorter period on Sunday and marginal deterioration in AQI is forecasted but within the middle-end of Very Poor.
The AQI will improve on December 28 and December 29 but within the Very Poor category.