As pollution improves slightly in Delhi, Met forecasts rain from Tuesday

Delhi on Monday recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 387, marginally better than 404 (severe), the previous day, showed CPCB’s 4pm bulletin.

The Capital breathed marginally cleaner air on Monday, with pollution levels falling out of the ‘severe’ zone, showed data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). With the weather office predicting rain from Tuesday night, air pollution levels are likely to improve further later in the week, the pollution watchdog said.

Pollution levels in Delhi are expected to fall even further, predicted the central weather office, on the back of two consecutive western disturbances that are likely to impact the region this week.  (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Delhi on Monday recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 387, marginally better than 404 (severe), the previous day, showed CPCB’s 4pm bulletin.

Pollution levels are expected to fall even further, predicted the central weather office, on the back of two consecutive western disturbances that are likely to impact the region this week.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it expects Delhi to receive rain nearly every day from Tuesday night till Saturday.

According to RK Jenamani, IMD scientist, the first western disturbance will influence the region from January 3 until January 5, with peak precipitation expected on January 5. The second is expected to influence Delhi from January 6 until January 9, with rain peaking on January 7.

“We can also anticipate a sharp drop in temperature on January 5 and 7 during the day, with the maximum hovering around 16-17degrees Celsius. While a high amount of moisture will be added, Delhi will only see shallow fog and a visibility of between 500 and 1,200 metres during this rainy spell,” he added.

Delhi recorded shallow fog on Monday morning, with visibility dropping to 500 metres at Safdarjung, and to 600 metres at Palam. The Met department classifies fog as ‘shallow’ when visibility is between 500 and 1000 metres.

Temperatures in the city have also picked up under the influence of the western disturbances, with Delhi recording a maximum temperature of 21.5°C on Monday, two notches above normal. The minimum temperature, meanwhile, was 5.4°C — two below normal.

While the maximum is expected to touch 22°C on Tuesday, the minimum may rise to 7°C, predicted the weather office.

Delhi’s air quality is meanwhile expected to see an improvement only from January 5 onwards, with the AQI remaining in the ‘very poor’ zone for the next 48 hours.

“High winds and intermittent rains are likely during January 5 to 8, which is expected to improve AQI significantly through strong dispersion and wet deposition,” said Gufran Beig, founder project director at the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), a forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences.