No respite from heatwave in Delhi even today; AQI remains ‘poor’

The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 39.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 18.7 degrees Celsius

NEW DELHI: Delhi is likely to experience yet another heatwave on Thursday, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, with the maximum temperature predicted to reach 40 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to touch 19 degrees Celsius.

School children fill their bottles from a water tank during a hot summer afternoon in New Delhi. (ANI PHOTO)

The maximum temperature on Wednesday was 39.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 18.7 degrees Celsius.

Delhi’s air quality was in the moderate category on Thursday morning. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that the hourly air quality index (AQI) at 7 am stood at 273. On Wednesday, the average 24-hour AQI was 248.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

On Wednesday, the Union ministry of earth science’s air quality monitoring centre System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) said, “Delhi’s AQI indicates ‘lower end of Poor’ air quality with dominance of coarse (size > 2.5 µm) particle dust (~ 60% in PM10). For the next three days (7th, 8th, 9th), peak wind speed is likely to be moderate (~12-18 km/h) causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within ‘poor’ or ‘upper end of moderate’. High temperature (max. 40°C) and mixing layer height (> 3 km) maintains strong ventilation by convection.”