After a week of smog, winds bring a breath of fresh air in Delhi

After nearly a week of blinding smog, crippling air quality and debilitating pollution levels, winds blowing from the north and northwest directions brought Delhi some much-needed respite on Monday.

After nearly a week of blinding smog, crippling air quality and debilitating pollution levels, winds blowing from the north and northwest directions brought Delhi some much-needed respite on Monday.

Vehicles ply on Gurgaon-Delhi Expressway through dense smog in Gurugram on Monday. (PTI Photo)

The winds helped clear the smog cover to an extent.

Visibility was recorded at 200 m around 8.30 am at Safdarjung, and it improved to 800 m by 1.30 pm. Once the winds predicted by the India Meteorological Department had begun blowing by 2 pm, there was further improvement on that front.

Visibility docked at 1,800 m around 2.30 pm, just 30 minutes after the winds started.

Experts had earlier said lack of wind was exacerbating the situation in Delhi, causing pollutants to remain trapped in its air. “Strong and continued winds helped disperse the smog-causing elements over a larger area, improving visibility,” said a weather expert.

“The winds have dispelled fears of the city witnessing thicker fog and smog. The night temperature isn’t too low either. Now, we needn’t expect dense fog till mid-December,” he said.

Delhi residents can expect a cooler Tuesday, with a maximum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 14 degrees Celsius. The Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC) also predicted shallow fog in the morning.