Air quality worsens, set to improve on Monday

The city’s air quality stayed in the poor zone on Sunday, recording an air quality index (AQI) reading of 245 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin, a rise from Saturday’s AQI reading of 223 (in the same category)

The city’s air quality stayed in the poor zone on Sunday, recording an air quality index (AQI) reading of 245 on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily bulletin, a rise from Saturday’s AQI reading of 223 (in the same category).

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The level of ultrafine particulate matter having a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM 2.5), the city’s primary pollutant, was 136.72 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) on Sunday, as per the CPCB’s air quality monitor at Vikas Sadan in Sector 11. At the official monitor in Sector 51, the PM 2.5 concentration stood at 242.41µg/m3 on Sunday.

According to the early air quality warning system for Delhi-NCR, the air quality over Delhi-NCR is likely to remain in the moderate category on Tuesday and the moderate to the satisfactory category on Wednesday. Subsequently, the air quality is likely to improve and remain in the moderate to satisfactory category over the next five days. The air quality is expected to improve on account of better ventilation on Monday.

The minimum temperature on Sunday was 18.3 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature was 35.2 degrees Celsius. As per the India Meteorological Department’s weekly forecast, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 33 degrees and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively, on Sunday. A partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rains and thundershower has been predicted on Monday and Tuesday.