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Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘severe’ category on Monday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 400 at 9 am. The city woke up to a thick layer of smoke that significantly reduced visibility, reaching around 600 meters at the Safdarjung Observatory. The Indira Gandhi International Airport also experienced reduced visibility at 800 meters.
According to an India Meteorological Department official, the day may bring relief as high wind speed and light rainfall are anticipated. Unfavorable atmospheric conditions are expected to persist for the next two to three days.
IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava mentioned the likelihood of rain on Monday due to a western disturbance, bringing showers to parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan on Sunday. Increased wind speed and rain can aid in dispersing pollutants and settling them, providing a slight reduction in pollution.
Srivastava added that the wind direction would be predominantly easterly on Monday, shifting to cold northwesterly winds from Tuesday, leading to a drop in minimum temperature.
The recent 24-hour AQI averages for Delhi were 395 on Sunday, 389 on Saturday, 415 on Friday, 390 on Thursday, 394 on Wednesday, 365 on Tuesday, and 348 on the previous Monday.
The forecast indicates that the rain on Monday will cause the maximum temperature to dip to 22°C, while the minimum temperature will hover around 12°C. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature is expected to be around 10°C, with the maximum around 24°C.
