Delhi AQI at 211 as air quality slips to poor; 6-day spell ahead

Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 211 (poor) at 11 am, with AQEWS forecasting air quality to remain in the poor category for the next six days

New Delhi: The capital’s air quality deteriorated further on Saturday morning, slipping into the “poor” category, with forecasts indicating that the air quality index (AQI) is likely to remain in the same category over the next six days.

Air pollution in Delhi worsened on Saturday (Vipin Kumar/ HT photo)

“The air quality is likely to be in the moderate category on Saturday. The air quality is likely to be in the poor category from Sunday to Monday. The outlook for the subsequent six days is that the air quality is likely to be in the poor category,” forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi said.

The AQI was logged at 211 (poor) at 11 am on Saturday, compared to the 24-hour average AQI of 197 (moderate) recorded at 4 pm a day earlier, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature saw a slight dip, even as a fresh western disturbance started influencing the region on Friday, with another western disturbance expected to arrive by Monday.

The minimum temperature on Saturday stood at 9.2°C, a degree below normal. It was 9.8°C a day earlier.

“Mainly clear skies are expected to persist throughout the weekend. The minimum is forecast to increase again and is likely to be around 12–14°C by Sunday. The maximum is expected to be around 26–28°C for the next few days,” an IMD official said.