Delhi records coldest March day in six years, AQI 94

Delhi woke up to dense fog and chilly winds on Saturday, with temperatures dipping below normal levels following a spell of rain and thunderstorm activity across the region.The minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 13 degrees Celsius, around 3.5 degrees below normal, marking a sharp drop from Friday’s 16 degrees Celsius. The cooler conditions come in the wake of widespread rainfall that significantly brought down temperatures.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Akhil Shrivastava, large-scale thunderstorm activity across the country contributed to the dip in temperatures. “Rainfall in Delhi yesterday resulted in a significant drop in maximum temperatures,” he said, adding that conditions are expected to remain mostly cloudy on Saturday before turning partly cloudy on Sunday.

Delhi: IMD Scientist Akhil Shrivastava says, "...A large-scale thunderstorm activity is currently being witnessed across India. In Delhi, rainfall activity occurred yesterday, resulting in a significant drop in maximum temperatures. Our forecast indicates that similar… pic.twitter.com/BbxYEHXb9n

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2026

The city had recorded its coldest March day in six years on Friday, with the maximum temperature at Safdarjung observatory falling to 21.7 degrees Celsius—nearly 9.6 degrees below normal. This marks the lowest March daytime temperature since March 8, 2020.Alongside the dip in temperatures, air quality showed notable improvement. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 94 at 8 am on Saturday, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board standards. A similar reading of 93 was recorded on Friday, making it the cleanest air day in the past five months.Friday also marked the first instance since October 9, 2025, when Delhi’s air quality entered the ‘satisfactory’ range, reflecting the impact of recent weather conditions in dispersing pollutants.
The IMD has forecast the minimum temperature to hover around 14 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while the maximum may reach 27 degrees Celsius. No rainfall was recorded in the morning, unlike Friday when the city received around 7 mm of precipitation.Delhi’s average rainfall for March stands at 16.2 mm, and current weather patterns suggest this could be the wettest March since 2023. The IMD has predicted the possibility of very light rain returning on Monday, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning due to an active western disturbance.