New Delhi records coldest October day in 75 years: Friday high of just 20.7°C, wettest October in four years and cleanest air in a decade

New Delhi · Weather · Oct. 31, 2026 · The Delhi National Capital Region woke to a chilly Saturday morning on Oct. 31, after Friday's cold set a 75-year record. According to Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), citing India Meteorological Department data, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung, the city's base station, was just 20.7°C on Friday, 10.3 degrees below normal — the lowest October daytime maximum recorded there since 1951. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 110, in the 'moderate' category.

Rain and records

Friday was also the wettest October day in four years and the sixth-wettest since 1951. Cumulative October rainfall at Safdarjung reached 123.3 mm by 8:30 a.m. on Friday, against a monthly normal of 15.1 mm, making it the wettest October in four years. For clarity: this site's Oct. 30 report of 25.4°C covered Oct. 29, then the coldest October day in four years; Friday's 20.7°C has since broken that mark by a wide margin, resetting the record to 75 years.

Air markedly cleaner

The rain also cleared pollutants: Friday's AQI of 60 made it the cleanest October day since Oct. 10, 2022, when it was 44. An analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) put Delhi's average October AQI at 167, the lowest October average since 2015. Saturday morning's reading of 110 was higher, so residents should still check live readings before going out.

Compiled from IANS reporting citing the India Meteorological Department and CREA.