New Delhi, Feb 27 (PTI) Delhi has recorded its hottest February in three years, with the average maximum temperature settling at 26.9 degrees Celsius, while the city logged its hottest day of the month on Friday with the mercury touching 31.9 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the last time the average maximum temperature was higher in February was in 2023, when it stood at 28.2 degrees Celsius.
In comparison, the average maximum temperature was 26.7 degrees Celsius last year and 24.4 degrees Celsius in 2024.
The average minimum temperature this February stood at 11.6 degrees Celsius.
The Safdarjung observatory recorded 31.9 degrees Celsius on Friday, 5.8 notches above normal. The Ridge station logged the highest maximum temperature in the city at 32.2 degrees Celsius, 5.5 notches above normal, followed by Lodhi Road at 31.8 degrees Celsius, 5.8 notches above normal. Ayanagar recorded 32 degrees Celsius, 5.4 degrees above normal.
In minimum temperatures, Safdarjung recorded 13.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notches above normal, while Lodhi Road recorded 12.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above normal. The Ridge station reported a minimum of 14.2 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 13.2 degrees Celsius.
For Saturday, the IMD has forecast mainly clear skies with mist during the morning hours, with the maximum temperature likely to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and a minimum around 14 degrees celsius.
Meanwhile, the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 200 on Friday, in the ‘moderate’ category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app, during evening hours, 22 monitoring stations recorded ‘moderate’ air quality, 14 logged ‘poor’, while two flagged ‘very poor’ air.
As per CPCB classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
Delhi has also recorded its poorest February air quality in three years, with the average AQI at 234 till February 26, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
The data showed that February 2026 has been the worst since 2023, when the monthly average AQI stood at 237.
In terms of daily air quality categories, the capital witnessed 20 ‘poor’ air quality days and two ‘very poor’ air days this February, while four days fell in the ‘moderate’ category.
The city’s air quality was recorded in the “moderate” category at 9 am on Friday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 187, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. PTI MSJ SGV ARB ARB
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