Cold northwesterly winds were expected to pick up speed during the day on Friday, and keep the maximum temperature between 16-18°C, even as shallow fog enveloped Delhi and the air quality improved to the lower end of the “very poor” range. A 24-hour average AQI of 311 was recorded at 8am on Friday. (PTI) The mercury went up to 17.3°C on Thursday, which was two degrees below normal. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded the lowest maximum temperature of 14.2°C since December 29, 2019, when it was 13.3°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Friday, forecasting dense to very dense fog in parts of the city. A yellow alert is in place for moderate to dense fog on Saturday. A sharp dip in the minimum temperature was expected from January 4, with no western disturbance likely until January 15. “Cold northwesterly winds will start blowing from Friday, but with no western disturbance ahead, we will now have consistent icy-cold winds across the plains. The minimum will start dipping and by the second week …