Delhi’s air quality slips to ‘moderate’ as weather system weakens, mercury rises

An IMD official said the weather system that brought rain and cooler conditions to the National Capital Region was weakening, allowing temperatures to rise.

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated into the “moderate” category on Wednesday and temperatures started climbing as the low-pressure weather system over Uttar Pradesh began to dissipate, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 22.4°C on Wednesday, 0.9°C below normal, but more than 1°C higher than Tuesday’s 21°C. (HT File Photo/Sanjeev Verma)

The changing weather conditions are coinciding with a deterioration in air quality. Delhi’s AQI had remained in the satisfactory category for five days after windy conditions and rainfall helped wash out pollutants. But weaker rainfall activity and increasing temperatures are now being accompanied by a gradual rise in pollution levels. Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 107 at 9am, a spike of over 30 points in less than 24 hours.

The minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 22.4°C on Wednesday, 0.9°C below normal, but more than 1°C higher than Tuesday’s 21°C. The slight rise followed an unusually cold Tuesday morning, Delhi’s second-coldest September morning in 25 years, due to cloud cover and rain associated with the weather system over central Uttar Pradesh.

“The low-pressure area over central Uttar Pradesh is weakening gradually. As the system moves away, cloud cover and rainfall activity over Delhi are reducing, allowing temperatures to rise,” the official said.

IMD has forecast mainly clear skies in Delhi on Wednesday, with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 33-35°C.

The city is expected to remain largely dry over the next few days, with daytime temperatures rising further. IMD’s forecast indicates maximum temperatures around 34°C on October 1 and 2, while minimum temperatures are likely to remain around 24°C.

The IMD has forecast mainly clear conditions through the weekend, with no significant rain expected in Delhi-NCR.