The Capital recorded its cleanest February this year since 2016, coinciding with an unusually warm month compared to the past few years, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.
This year, an average air quality index of 214 (“poor”) was recorded in February. The 24-hour average AQI on Friday was 121 (“moderate”), according to CPCB’s daily bulletin.
There was also scattered rainfall on Friday evening, with 0.8mm of rainfall recorded at the Safdarjung weather station between 5.30pm and 8.30pm. The Najafgarh and SPS Mayur Vihar weather stations recorded 0.5mm of rainfall in the same period.
To be sure, the air quality was in the “poor” range for the entire month, with multiple stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) being enforced, restricting movement of vehicles, disrupting classes, halting constructions and leading to bans on diesel-powered machinery.
Air quality
Over the past years, Delhi recorded an AQI of 218 in 2024, 237 in 2023, 225 in 2022, 288 in 2021, 241 in 2020, 242 in 2019, 243 in 2018, 267 in 2017 and 293 in 2016.
To be sure, the CPCB has been clocking AQI since 2015, but 2016 is the latest year when data for February was collated. CPCB classifies AQI between 0 and 50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and over 400 as “severe”.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet meteorology, said, “Persistently strong winds have contributed to lower AQI average. Strong northwesterlies and westerlies have helped in dispersion of pollutants, leading to lower pollution level.”
According to the CPCB data, February this year clocked 12 days of “moderate” air, with a six-day streak from February 19 to 24. Further, there were 14 days of “good” to “moderate” air recorded in the first two months this year, which is the second highest since 2018.
“There have been 14 such days each in 2025 and 2024, compared to only 6 days in 2018, 12 days in 2019, 9 days in 2020, 4 days in 2021, 15 days in 2022, and 12 days in 2023 respectively,” the CAQM said.
Forecasts by the Centre’s Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, a model under the ministry of earth sciences, predicted the AQI to remain in the “moderate” range for the next few days. “The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category from Saturday to Monday. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the moderate category,” said the EWS bulletin on Friday evening.
Warmer than usual
This February was also warmer than previous years, clocking high daytime temperatures and equally warm nights. According to IMD data, the average minimum temperature was 11.6 degrees Celsius (°C), which is the highest since 2017, when the average minimum for February was 11.7°C.
The average monthly minimum this year was also a degree above the long-period average of 10.6°C, according to IMD.
The average monthly maximum this February was 26.7°C, which was 2.5°C higher than the long-period average of 24.2°C and the highest monthly average maximum average for February since 2023, when it was 28.2°C.
The minimum temperature recorded on Thursday, 19.5°C, which was seven degrees above normal, was also the highest for February in 74 years. Data before 1951 was not available, IMD said.
Palawat said, “There has been a deficiency of rain in Delhi as well as general precipitation all over the northwest region this year. This has, no doubt, contributed to the warmer temperature. There has been a 80-90% lower precipitation even on the mountains in the northwest region than what is considered normal. Rain and any form of precipitation helps in formation of a fog layer, which helps in lowering daytime temperature.”
Delhi’s minimum was 18.4°C on Friday, which was 5.9°C above normal, and the maximum was 27°C, which was 0.9°C above normal.
Palawat said that wind speed is expected to increase by next week. “Very strong winds are expected from March 3 to 4, which might bring the minimum down slightly. It will also keep the pollution levels relatively low.”
According to the IMD forecast, the maximum is expected to be around 27-29°C on Saturday. The minimum is forecast to drop to 14-16°C over the weekend.
Rainfall
According to IMD data, Safdarjung, representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded only 2.2mm of rain throughout February, against a normal of 21.3mm. Hence, February this year received 93% less rain than normal.
For context, Safdarjung recorded 32.5mm of rain in February 2024.
An IMD official said, “Generally cloudy skies persisted throughout the day, accompanied by strong surface winds of speed 20-30kmph. Partly cloudy skies are expected on Saturday but there is no forecast for rain.”
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