New Delhi: This Feb was the most polluted and warmest in the past three years. With a mean maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, the month was 2.8 degrees higher than the long period average of 24.2 degrees Celsius. The mercury on Friday settled at 31.9 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal, making it the warmest day of the season.Experts said the lack of active western disturbances had led to clear skies, causing daytime temperatures to remain higher than normal on most days. During the entire Feb, the city logged just 0.5 mm of very light rainfall against the normal of 21.3mm.
Since no intense rain activity occurred, very light showers also could not settle pollutants. An analysis of Central Pollution Control Board’s data shows that the average air quality index (AQI) was 232 this Feb. It was 214 in 2025, 218 in 2024 and 237 in 2023. From Feb 1 to 27, the city also saw two very poor air days as AQI stayed above 300, 20 poor days and only five moderate days.Similarly, the mean maximum temperature was the highest since Feb 2023. It was 26.7 degrees Celsius in Feb 2025 and 24.4 in 2024, but 28.2 in 2023.India Meteorological Department’s data shows that the maximum temperature mostly remained above normal in Feb. It dipped below normal only on two occasions in the entire month — 17.5 degrees Celsius on Feb 2 and 21.1 degrees on Feb 18 — as a weak western disturbance led to drizzling and overcast skies.“With no significant rain activity, Delhi mostly saw clear skies, which caused maximum hours of sunshine. The mercury mostly stayed three to five degrees above normal on most days of the month,” said an official.Data shows that the maximum temperature surpassed 30 degrees Celsius on five days of the month. On Feb 16, it was 31.6 degrees Celsius, seven degrees above normal. This was also the earliest instance of the temperature crossing 30 degrees Celsius in Feb in the past five years. Earlier, the mercury breached this mark on Feb 11, 2021, when it touched 30.4 degrees Celsius. In Feb 2025, this mark was surpassed in the last week.On Saturday, the mercury is likely to stay between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius. The mercury may touch 33 degrees Celsius by March 3, 34 degrees on Holi day, and possibly 35 degrees by March 5, IMD predicted.
