Fri Nov 29 15:55:32 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Shivers Through Coldest Night, Suffers Sixth Day of Very Poor Air Quality

**New Delhi, November 25, 2023** – Delhi residents woke up to the city’s coldest night of the season on Friday, with temperatures plummeting to 9.5 degrees Celsius. This marks the sixth consecutive day of very poor air quality, impacting the health and well-being of millions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the frigid temperatures, noting that Thursday’s 10.1 degrees Celsius was the second coldest night. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 331 at 4 pm on Friday, a slight increase from Thursday’s 325. Two monitoring stations, Bawana (416) and Mundka (402), even recorded air quality in the severe category. The remaining stations showed either very poor (26 stations) or poor (9 stations) air quality. PM2.5 remained the primary pollutant, reaching 143 µg/m³ at 4 pm.

Vehicular emissions contributed 21.6 percent to the city’s pollution on Friday, according to the Centre’s Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management. While stubble burning contributed 5.8 percent on Tuesday, data for Wednesday and Thursday was unavailable. However, neighboring states reported significant farm fire incidents: Punjab (32), Haryana (9), and Uttar Pradesh (215) on Friday alone. Cumulative data from September 15 to November 29 shows a staggering number of farm fires: 10,887 in Punjab, 1,389 in Haryana, and 5,769 in Uttar Pradesh.

The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts smog and mist for Friday evening and night, with mainly clear skies expected for Saturday. Shallow to moderate fog is anticipated Saturday morning. The maximum temperature on Friday reached 26.4 degrees Celsius, while the weather department forecasts a maximum of 26 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius for Saturday. Humidity levels fluctuated considerably throughout Friday. The prolonged period of poor air quality and cold weather continues to pose significant challenges for Delhi’s residents.

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