New Delhi: Delhi has just recorded its hottest February in three years and its worst air quality since 2023, and the month is not even over yet. National Capital’s temperature touched 31.9 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung on Friday, making it the hottest day of the month, while the city’s average Air Quality Index for February stood at 234, the worst since 2023.
Hottest February Since 2023
According to India Meteorological Department data, Delhi’s average maximum temperature this February settled at 26.9 degrees Celsius, the highest since February 2023, when it stood at 28.2 degrees Celsius. Last year the average maximum was 26.7 degrees Celsius, while in 2024 it was just 24.4 degrees Celsius.
Friday was the hottest single day of the month. The Safdarjung observatory recorded 31.9 degrees Celsius, which was 5.8 notches above normal. The Ridge station logged the highest maximum in the city at 32.2 degrees Celsius, 5.5 notches above normal. Lodhi Road recorded 31.8 degrees Celsius, 5.8 notches above normal, while Ayanagar touched 32 degrees Celsius, 5.4 degrees above normal.
Also Read: Delhi Weather Today: Cool Morning, Scorching Afternoon — Feb Feels Like April as Temp Touches 31 Degrees
The average minimum temperature this February stood at 11.6 degrees Celsius. On Friday, Safdarjung recorded a minimum of 13.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notches above normal, while Lodhi Road logged 12.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal.
What to Expect Today
The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies for Saturday with morning mist. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and the minimum around 14 degrees Celsius.
Worst February Air Quality in Three Years
The heat is not the only concern. Delhi has also recorded its worst February air quality in three years. According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the average AQI stood at 234 till February 26, the worst since February 2023, when the monthly average was 237.
This February saw 20 poor air quality days and two very poor air quality days. Only four days fell in the moderate category.
The 24-hour average AQI on Friday stood at 200, in the moderate category. According to the CPCB SAMEER app, during evening hours 22 monitoring stations recorded moderate air quality, 14 logged poor and two flagged very poor air.
As per CPCB classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is good, 51 to 100 is satisfactory, 101 to 200 is moderate, 201 to 300 is poor, 301 to 400 is very poor and 401 to 500 is severe.
The combination of record heat and poor air quality in February is unusual and concerning. Climate experts have long warned that winters in north India are shrinking and that pre-summer heat is arriving earlier each year. Friday’s numbers suggest that trend is accelerating.
(With Inputs from PTI)
