Another hot day expected in Delhi, air quality in poor category

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said clear weather was likely throughout the day with heat wave conditions at isolated places

New Delhi: The air quality was in the poor category on Monday morning as another hot day is expected in Delhi with the maximum temperature expected to be around 43 degrees Celsius. The mercury went up to 44.2 degrees Celsius, four degrees above the normal, on Sunday.

A mirage forms on Rajpath due to scorching heat in New Delhi on Sunday. (HT PHOTO)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said clear weather was likely throughout the day with heat wave conditions at isolated places. Strong surface winds at a speed of 20-30 km per hour are expected during the day as minimum temperature is likely to be around 23 degrees Celsius.

The hourly air quality index (AQI) was 205 at 7 am on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. On Sunday, the average 24-hour AQI was 215 in the poor category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

On Sunday, the monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) said the AQI is likely to stay in the lower end of the poor category on Monday. “For the next three days [Monday to Wednesday] peak wind speed is likely to be ~ 18-30 km/h causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within ‘moderate’ or ‘lower end of poor’.”

It added that high temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a mixing layer height above 3-4 km (~ 3-4 km) will aid in strong ventilation by convection resulting in an improvement in air quality.