‘Poor’ air in Delhi; IMD says mercury to hit 30°C again this week
On Monday the maximum temperature was 28.9°C, four degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature was 11°C, which is the normal mercury level for this time of year.
Air quality in Delhi the national capital was in the “poor” category on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 288. Pollution levels are likely to hover between the “poor” and “very poor” categories over Delhi and other parts of northwest India due to calm winds in the evening that slow the dispersal of pollutants.
An AQI between 301 to 400 is categorised as “very poor”.
“Wind speed during day time is around 10kmph, but they are mostly calm during the evening. This is why we are not seeing any improvement in air quality. We are unlikely to record any significant improvement in the coming days either,” said VK Soni, scientist at IMD’s air quality division. Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Meerut recorded “very poor” air quality on Monday.
“With February coming to an end, we expect a rise in maximum and minimum temperatures. The maximum temperature is likely to rest between 30 to 31 degrees Celsius (°C), while the minimum is likely to be 12 to 13°C in the next three to four days. A western disturbance is impacting the Western Himalayan region. Once that moves away, there will be a marginal and brief drop in temperatures in the Capital as cold northwesterly winds will be blowing. But otherwise, it is likely to get warmer now,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre.
On Monday the maximum temperature was 28.9°C, four degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature was 11°C, which is the normal mercury level for this time of year.
Under the influence of a fresh western disturbance, widespread rainfall or snowfall is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad; scattered rainfall/snowfall is likely over Himachal Pradesh for next 3 days and fairly widespread rainfall for the subsequent 2 days while scattered rainfall or snowfall is also likely over Uttarakhand during next 5 days.
Thunderstorm or lighting is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad during the next five days and over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from February 23 to 26.
Isolated hailstorms are likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad on February 24 and 25; Himachal Pradesh on February 25 and 26 and over Uttarakhand during February 23 to 26.