Delhi's Coldest Republic Day in 5 Years Brings Unsettled Weather Ahead

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Delhi experienced its coldest Republic Day in five years on Monday, with temperatures plummeting to as low as 3.6°C in parts of the city. The mercury dipped due to clear skies and icy northwesterly winds over the weekend. However, a western disturbance is expected to bring light rain and gusty winds to the city on Tuesday, potentially improving air quality, which had deteriorated to the 'poor' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 241 at 4 pm on Monday, compared to 153 at the same time on Sunday. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, forecasting one to two spells of light rain accompanied by gusty winds of up to 40 km per hour. While the city's maximum temperature on Monday reached 23.2°C, a degree above normal, the minimum temperature is expected to hover between 8°C and 10°C on Tuesday. The IMD also forecasted fresh snowfall in the higher reaches and isolated heavy rain or snow and hailstorms in the western Himalayan region. Experts attribute the improvement in air quality to the approaching western disturbance, which is expected to bring warmer easterly winds and overcast skies. However, minimum temperatures across the plains are likely to dip again from January 29 due to fresh snowfall. Residents in south Delhi's Sainik Farms reported ground frost during the early hours, with a rich layer of frost accumulating on car windows. Forecasts by the Centre's Air Quality Early Warning System indicate that air quality is likely to improve again on Tuesday following rainfall, with the AQI expected to be in the 'moderate' category from January 27 to 28.