Delhi air quality improves after rain, AQI drops to ‘poor’ from 'very poor'
Light rain in Delhi improves air quality, pushing AQI from ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ at 273. Know more about AQI trends, CPCB classifications, and forecasts for air quality.
Light rainfall on Sunday evening provided some relief to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, bringing the Air Quality Index (AQI) down from the ‘very poor’ to the ‘poor’ category. The AQI was recorded at 273 early Monday morning, marking an improvement from 302 at 4 PM on Sunday. The AQI with a 24-hour average of 273 is slightly worse than Saturday’s 233 but significantly better than the 'very poor' levels seen on Sunday. Most of the 38 monitoring sites in Delhi are under the AQI ‘poor’ category, with four stations reporting ‘moderate’ levels.
Impact of western disturbance
The improved air quality is due to westerly disturbances that brought rains to the region. However, this same weather system introduced moisture and lower temperatures, which created conditions for pollutant accumulation, causing a temporary deterioration in air quality over the weekend.
CPCB AQI classification
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
- AQI between 0-50: Good
- AQI between 51-100: Satisfactory
- AQI between 101-200: Moderate
- AQI between 201-300: Poor
- AQI between 301-400: Very Poor
- AQI above 400: Severe
First 'very poor' reading in December
The 302 AQI recorded on Sunday marked the first day of ‘very poor’ air quality in December after the city saw ‘moderate’ air quality earlier this month, a level not observed since mid-October. The last ‘very poor’ reading was recorded as 346 on 30 November.
Prediction: Likely deterioration ahead
Despite the short-term improvements, experts predicted that air quality is likely to deteriorate. The AQI is expected to remain in the ‘poor’ category on Monday, but could move back into the ‘very poor’ levels by Tuesday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.
Temperature update
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 23.7°C on Sunday, a degree below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 7.4°C, two degrees below normal.
Also read | Rain lashes parts of Delhi-NCR amid rising air pollution, cold expected to intensify | VIDEO