Delhi records its cleanest air day in over three months

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[google-translator]

The Capital on Wednesday recorded its cleanest air day in over three months as strong winds pushed its air quality into the ‘moderate’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 160, an improvement over Tuesday’s reading of 237 (poor), according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s daily national bulletin.

The last time Delhi’s air was ‘moderate’ was on December 15, 2022–189–while the last time Delhi recorded a lower AQI reading was on October 14,– 154 (moderate)– according to CPCB data.

An AQI reading 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”.

In addition to strong winds, Delhi recorded cloudy skies, which led to a maximum temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius (°C)– two degrees below normal for this time of the year and two notches lower than Tuesday’s maximum. Delhi’s minimum temperature too fell slightly–10.6°C–a dip of 1.7 degrees from Tuesday’s minimum, which was the highest for January this year.

Shallow fog was also reported on Wednesday, with clouds forming a layer of mist, and visibility oscillating between 800 and 1,500 metres through the day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate fog and partly cloudy skies for Republic Day, with no rain expected. Light rain is likely after January 29, officials said.

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“The impact of a western disturbance has brought cloudy skies over Delhi and while no rain was recorded on Wednesday, moderate fog is expected on Republic Day due to the increased moisture. Visibility will be between 200 and 500 metres, with the maximum and minimum temperatures staying in a similar range,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD.

A western disturbance refers to an area of “disturbed” or reduced air pressure, moving from the west to the east, carrying with it moisture associated with rainfall, snowfall and fog in northern India.

Delhi’s minimum temperature is forecast to hover around the 9-degree mark on Thursday, before dipping to 7°C on Friday and Saturday. It will once again rise from Sunday onwards, as a fresh western disturbance influences Delhi between January 28 and 30. The maximum temperature, meanwhile, will hover between 20°C and 22°C until the end of the month.

“The next western disturbance will raise the minimum temperature again and there are chances of light rain on January 29. The month will end without any significant dip in temperature,” Srivastava added.

Delhi’s air quality, meanwhile, may deteriorate gradually, as the impact of this western disturbance starts to wane, the Early Warning System (EWS) forecast for Delhi said.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain in the ‘moderate’ category till Wednesday evening but it will deteriorate into the ‘poor’ category by the night of January 25. The air quality is likely to remain in the ‘poor’ category on January 26 and 27, while it is likely to reach the lower end of the ‘very poor’ category on January 28, 2023,” said EWS.

Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall and snowfall is likely to impact India’s northwestern region from January 28 till the end of January due to back-to-back western disturbances affecting the region, IMD said.

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Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is also very likely over Himachal Pradesh and isolated hailstorms are likely over Uttarakhand on January 25. Light isolated to scattered rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm activity is very likely over Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh; isolated rainfall over Maharashtra on January 25.

“There has already been moderate rainfall and snowfall over the Western Himalayan region on Tuesday and Wednesday. We expect Thursday to be mostly dry for northwest India. There may be shallow fog in some areas including Delhi on Republic Day. But snowfall and rainfall will resume over the higher reaches and some parts of the plains of northwest India from January 28. The minimum temperature will rise during the period from January 28 to 30,” explained Naresh Kumar, scientist, IMD.

Dense fog conditions are very likely during next 48 hours in isolated pockets in the morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan, Assam and Tripura. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets over West Rajasthan during the next three days.

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