While the air quality in Delhi has improved significantly from “very poor” to “moderate” category today, isolated rains and moderate to dense fog is in forecast for north India as the winter chills intensify with the minimum temperature likely to fall by two to three degrees over the northern plains.

The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 179 at 9.45 am which falls in the “moderate” category as against 316 on Friday morning. The AQI recorded in Ghaziabad was 264, Greater Noida 241, Noida 254, Gurgaon 165, the Meteorological (MeT) department said.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 12 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal, a MeT official said.

According to Skymet weather, isolated rains might occur over the northern districts of Punjab, Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh.

Moderate to dense fog was also likely over Delhi, parts of Punjab, Haryana, North Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh.

The Western Disturbance has moved away and northerly winds are blowing over the northern plains. But the remnants of Western Disturbance will continue to give light rain and snow with one or two moderate spells over Western Himalayas.

The pollution level in the national capital will however, remain in the unhealthy category and isolated pockets might even witness pollution in very poor level, according to Skymet Weather forecast.

In east and northeast India, a north-south trough is extending from Bihar to North Karnataka.

Scattered rain and thundershowers may continue over parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.

In the current winter season, rain and snow began in the hills of north India in the month of November itself, and that too in excess. By the end of the month, Kashmir was a surplus by 379 per cent, Himachal Pradesh by 143 percent and Uttarakhand by 239 per cent.

The first half of December is almost over but snowfall is not abating. In the last 24 hours, heavy rain and snow has lashed Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand.

As of Thursday morning, Dharamsala recorded 66 mm of rains, Qazi Gund 62 mm, Manali 49 mm, Srinagar 25 mm, Una 23 mm, Dehradun 20 mm, Shimla 13 mm and Mandi 12 mm.

Rain and snow have dropped the maximums below 5 degrees, wherein Manali saw maximum at 4.2 degrees which is 11 degrees below normal, with Shimla recording 5.9 degrees Celsius which is 9 degrees below normal