Delhi's air quality improves to 'poor' category, mercury settles at 17.8 degrees C
The air quality of the national capital has improved to the 'poor' category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 211 on the morning on Saturday, said Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). The concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 stood at 201 in the 'moderate' category and 94 in the 'poor' category respectively.
SAFAR in its bulletin said that an increase in temperature and boundary layer height has helped in pushing the national capital's overall air quality from the 'very poor' to 'poor' category.
"The overall Delhi air quality is in the poor category as forecasted. Surface winds are high and west south-westerly. A further increase in wind speed, temperature, and boundary layer height is forecasted for 27th Feb, this is likely to influence AQI positively. AQI is forecasted to fall well within the Poor category on 27th and 28th Feb. Though ventilation is favourable for better AQI an increase in mineral dust contribution is expecting in the coming days as the winds are from dry desert regions," it stated.
An AQI between 0-50 is marked good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is considered severe.
Mercury settles at 17.8 deg Celsius
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 17.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, five degrees above the season's average, the MeT Department said.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 33 degrees Celsius. Strong surface wind is also predicted, said a MeT official.
