New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ despite improving marginally during the day as a haze of toxic pollutants hung over the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI), was 302 at 10 am, deteriorating marginally to 308 by 4 pm, and 317 by 8 pm. The AQI a day earlier was 330 (very poor) at 4 pm. Forecasts show Delhi’s air quality is expected to stay in the ‘very poor’ range this week, with no significant change in meteorological conditions likely.
Delhi’s minimum temperature, meanwhile, rose further on Sunday under the impact of a prevailing western disturbance. The minimum was 8°C, two notches below normal. It was 6.8°C on Saturday and a season low of 5.6°C on Friday. An increase in moisture has led to partially cloudy skies, which trap heat at night.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the minimum to rise further on Monday, hovering between 9-11°C. A dip in the minimum is only expected from Dec 11.
“It will remain between 8-11°C till Wednesday, before possibly hovering around 6-8°C on Thursday and Friday,” an IMD official said, stating strong winds of 15-20 km/hr may be seen briefly during the day on Monday. “In the early hours or at night, wind speed again dips,” said the official.
Delhi’s air quality has largely stayed ‘very poor’ this winter, with three back-to-back severe air days coming between Nov 11-13. Mahesh Palawat, Vice President at Skymet, said no significant change in the weather conditions is likely till Dec 10. “It may improve when winds pick up briefly, but not enough for complete dispersion,” he said.
IMD had earlier forecast isolated cold wave conditions to persist in parts of northwest India till Dec 5, owing to cold northwesterly winds blowing from snow-clad mountains to the plains.>
