Delhi AQI still ‘poor’, may improve by Thursday; minimum temperature at 11.6°C

Delhi recorded the warmest day of the year so far on Tuesday, with the maximum touching 29.7°C — six notches above normal.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the higher end of the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday morning, improving marginally as wind speed began to pick up. The city also saw a rise in minimum temperature at 11.6°C, one notch above normal; it was 9.8°C a day earlier.

People enjoy the pleasant Delhi weather at Kartavya Path. (Arvind Yadav/ HT Photo)

Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) stood at 259 (poor) at 8am on Wednesday. It was 293 (poor) at 4 pm on Tuesday, as per Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4pm bulletin. The AQI was 271 (poor) on Monday, 227 (poor) at 4pm on Sunday and 152 (moderate) on Saturday, data showed.

Forecasts by the Centre’s Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) show that AQI is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ range through Wednesday, but may possibly improve to ‘moderate’ by Thursday.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday. It is likely to be in the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday and Friday. In the subsequent six days, the AQI is likely to be in the ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ category,” said EWS in its daily bulletin.

Delhi recorded the warmest day of the year so far on Tuesday, with the maximum touching 29.7°C — six notches above normal. Strong surface winds of up to 25 km/hr during the day on Wednesday are likely to lead to a marginal drop in maximum, which should hover between 26--28°C, the India Meteorological Department has forecast.