Temperature soars in Delhi; AQI in ‘poor’ zone for 7th day

According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast, the temperature is likely to reach 30°C by Sunday, and will continue to climb in the coming week.

New Delhi: The city’s temperature continued to rise on Friday, hitting a maximum of 28°C, while air quality remained in the “poor” category for the seventh consecutive day.

Weather experts said the temperatures will continue to gradually increase (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast, the temperature is likely to reach 30°C by Sunday, and will continue to climb in the coming week.

The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded 210 at 4pm on Friday, slightly up from Thursday’s reading of 208 at the same time. The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.8°C on Friday.

The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) forecast stated that the AQI is likely to remain in the poor category till Monday, and fluctuate between the “poor” and “moderate” categories afterwards.

Weather experts said the temperatures will continue to gradually increase. “Although a western disturbance is expected on February 22, it will be very feeble and will not have any significant impact. Skies are expected to remain clear with little sign of rain, causing both day and night temperatures to rise,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather.

Palawat added that the lack of improvement in the AQI was primarily due to the wind speed being low. “The improvement depends on the speed and direction of wind. If the wind speed is at least 12-15kmph, the AQI will remain in the moderate category, or the lower end of the poor category. When wind speeds drop below that, it cannot disperse the pollutants, and the AQI continues to rise.”