Delhi’s air quality remains very poor for sixth day

The outlook for the subsequent six days shows that air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category, according to the Union earth sciences ministry’s Early Warning System

Delhi’s air quality remained in the very poor category for a sixth day on Thursday with a 24-hour average Air Quality Index of 389 at 7am compared to 395 at 4pm a day earlier. No significant change was expected. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows that air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category, according to the Union earth sciences ministry’s Early Warning System.

Dense smog as near Bhikaji Cama Place in New Delhi. (ANI)

Cold northwesterly winds over the last two days led to a dip in the temperature. The wind direction was expected to switch to easterly on Thursday. Delhi’s minimum temperature of 10.6°C on Wednesday was a degree below normal and the lowest this season since November 15 (10.9°C).

The mercury was expected to dip to around 10°C before rising by 1-2°C. Drizzle in some parts of the city was also expected on November 27 after a western disturbance.

“Winds have remained northwesterly over the last two days, but it will become variable once more from Thursday, fluctuating between easterly, southeasterly, and northeasterly over the next two days, thus halting the dip in mercury,” said scientist Kuldeep Srivastava. He added a western disturbance will be over Rajasthan, the western Himalayan region, and south Haryana on November 26 and 27.

Hourly average AQI has largely remained in a severe category all through the morning hours in the last few days before returning to the very poor category post noon when the temperature rises and winds pick up.

Experts say even with winds picking up during the day time, dipping temperatures and calm winds at night lead to a gradual accumulation of pollutants by the time people start stepping out from 6am onwards.