Delhi’s air quality in moderate category, mercury expected to go up to 34°C

According to Central Pollution Control Board, the hourly air quality index (AQI) was 179 at 7am while the average 24-hour AQI was 150 a day earlier

Delhi’s air quality was in the moderate category on Wednesday morning as the minimum temperature was expected to be 23 degrees Celsius and the maximum 34 degrees Celsius.

On Tuesday, the average 24-hour AQI was 150. (HT PHOTO)

According to Central Pollution Control Board, the hourly air quality index (AQI) was 179 at 7am. On Tuesday, the average 24-hour AQI was 150.

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 Tuesday, the government’s monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar) said that dust (size > 2.5 micrometer) contributed ~ 63% to PM10. “For the next 3 days...peak wind speed is likely to be ~ 8-18 km/h causing moderate dispersion and AQI is likely to be within ‘Moderate’ due to prevailing relatively dry weather. Moderate temperature (~ 29-34 deg C) and mixing layer height (~ 1.5 – 2.0 km) maintains moderate ventilation.”

On Tuesday, the minimum temperature was 22.1 degrees Celsius, eight notches below normal, and the maximum was 35.1 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal.