New Delhi: Delhi surprised everyone on Friday with a rare combination of chilly weather and noticeably cleaner air. After several days of steady rain and strong winds, the city felt almost unrecognisable with chills. The temperature dropped sharply, making it the coldest March day the capital has seen in six years. At the same time, pollution levels also dipped, giving residents a much-needed break from the usual unhealthy air.

The maximum temperature experienced at Safdarjung was 21.7 degrees Celsius, which is nearly 10 degrees below the seasonal average. This is the lowest daytime temperature recorded in March since 2020. Across other parts of the city the pattern remained similar with places like Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar all recording temperatures significantly below normal.

The sudden dip made for a pleasant day in what is typically a warmer month. Many people stepped out to their homes to enjoy the cold breeze, which is a rare experience for late March in Delhi. The Air Quality Index (AQI) also dropped to 93, placing it in the ‘satisfactory’ category.

This is the first time in over five months that the capital has experienced such clean air. The last time similar readings were in early October, when the AQI was 99.

According to CPCB standards, an AQI is considered good if it’s between 0-50, it’s satisfactory if it’s between 51-100, moderate if 101-200, poor if 201-300, very poor if 301-400 and 402-500 severe. For a city that often struggles with high pollution levels, this change felt refreshing as people enjoyed the weather and the breath of fresh air.

Rainfall brings relief

The city recorded around 7mm of rainfall during the day. This leads to a total of 16.2mm rainfall for the month so far. This makes March 2026 one of the wetter ones in recent years as the various areas across Delhi reported light to moderate rainfall throughout the day. Though showers gradually reduced by the afternoon as the rain not only cooled the city but also helped improve overall environmental conditions.

What lies ahead

The weather department expects conditions to stabilise soon. For Saturday, the minimum temperature is likely to be around 14 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. Air quality is also expected to shift back to the ‘moderate’ category in the coming days.