Light rain, thundershowers likely in Delhi today, AQI to remain ‘very poor’: IMD

According to the IMD, foggy conditions are likely to persist over the next 6 days while the temperature hovers around 9 to 11 degree Celsius in the national capital.

A blanket of cloud and haze enveloped Delhi as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light rain and thundershower in the national capital on Sunday evening or night. The air quality index in Delhi will, however, remain in the very poor category, according to the real-time data of the Central Pollution Control Board.

A cyclist crosses a road in Azadpur, New Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

The Air Quality Early Warning System’s forecast for this evening said that the AQI in the national capital region is likely to be on the lower end of ‘very poor’ category.

As of this morning, Delhi recorded an AQI of 305 (very poor), Faridabad 296 (poor), Ghaziabad 288 (poor), Gurgaon 174 (moderate) and Noida 273 (poor).

The mercury dropped to 11.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi, two notches above the season's normal on Sunday, according to the weather department, while the maximum temperature is likely to be around 25 degrees Celsius, they said. The relative humidity recorded at 8.30am was 95 per cent.

Foggy conditions are expected to persist over the next six days as well, the IMD forecast showed, while the temperature could hover around 9 to 11 degree Celsius.

Delhi's air quality in November this year was the worst for the month in seven years. The city witnessed ‘severe’ pollution on 11 days and not a single day of "moderate" or "better" air quality, according to data shared by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Although stubble burning remained a major factor behind the spike in the air pollution levels, experts believed that local sources of emissions are the primary reason for highly PM levels in the air in the post-farm fire period.