Delhi recorded its cleanest December since 2015 with an average AQI of 294, despite six days of "severe" air, due to strong winds and record rainfall.

The last day of the year is also expected to witness mainly clear skies, the IMD stated, along with smog and dense fog in the morning, and a windy afternoon.

Delhi's air quality improved to the 'moderate' category on Monday, facilitated by the record rain that lashed the city between last Friday and Saturday.

The city received 41.2 mm of rain between 8.30 am on Friday and 8.30 am on Saturday. This is the highest rain seen in Delhi in 24 hours in December since 1923, when 75.7 mm of rain was recorded on December 3. December this year has also seen the most amount of rain since 1997 when 71.8 mm of rain was seen in the month.

The temperature dropped but remained above normal in the Capital on Monday, as cold northwesterly winds improved the air quality to a moderate level, and shallow fog reduced visibility. The minimum temperature recorded was 10.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi at around 6 am on Monday stood at 183, which is categorised under ‘moderate’ level as per the CPCB.