AQI stays ‘poor’ in Delhi; minimum temperature at 10.5°C

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a mild December, with both average maximum and minimum expected to be above normal.

Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ category for a third straight day, even as citizens witnessed blue skies with bright sunshine on Tuesday morning. The average air quality index (AQI) in the capital stood at 274 (poor) at 8am, a marginal improvement from the 4pm reading of 280 (poor) on Monday.

A thin layer of smog engulfs the area surrounding Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul) in New Delhi. (ANI Photo)

The minimum temperature was recorded at 10.5°C — a degree above normal. It was 10.4°C a day earlier. The lowest minimum so far this season was 9.5°C, which was recorded on November 28. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a mild December, with both average maximum and minimum expected to be above normal, similar to the rest of northwest India.

As per the forecast, consistent winds between 10-20 km/hr are expected in the region till Thursday, keeping the AQI in check. “The air quality is likely to be in the ‘poor’ category from December 3 till December 5. In the subsequent six days, it may touch very poor again,” said the Centre’s Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi.

The CPCB data at 8am showed out of the 37 air quality stations online, none was ‘severe’ and only six were ‘very poor’. The rest had an AQI below 300 and were in the ‘poor’ range.

Experts said the improvement in air quality in the region was on account of consistent winds and ample sunshine during the day. “The impact of the prevailing western disturbance has not been seen in the plains and there is not enough moisture for moderate to dense fog to form. This means Delhi-NCR is recording a lot of sunshine and winds are also strong - two factors which help in dispersion of pollutants,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Skymet meteorology.

Data from last December showed the average AQI at 348, with three severe air days recorded. The lowest AQI recorded last December was 286, while the highest was 450 on December 23. Generally, there is a spike in pollution in the second half of December, when temperatures dip below 5°C, wind speeds drop, and dense fog returns to the region.