The recent rainfall in Delhi has provided a much-needed break from the city's persistent air pollution, bringing a significant improvement in air quality while ushering in chilly winds across the capital. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 8 am on Sunday stood at 150, placing it in the "moderate" category.
Air Quality Improvement and Current Status
The 24-hour average AQI settled at 192, which remains within the moderate range. Data from CPCB's Sameer app indicates that air quality was moderate at thirty monitoring stations, while seven stations reported poor conditions. Among all stations, Dwarka recorded the lowest AQI of 98, falling into the satisfactory category.
Throughout Saturday, Delhi's air quality showed consistent improvement, transitioning from poor to moderate levels as reported by weather agencies. The CPCB categorizes AQI as follows: 0-50 as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor, and 401-500 as severe.
Weather Conditions and Temperature Drop
Friday's rain marked Delhi's first precipitation of the year and the highest January rainfall in two years. The previous record was set on January 30, 2023, when the city received 20.4 mm of rainfall. This rain spell caused a noticeable drop in temperatures across Delhi.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted partly cloudy skies with shallow to moderate fog during morning hours on Sunday. On Saturday, Safdarjung station recorded a minimum temperature of 7.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above the seasonal normal but significantly lower than Friday's minimum of 13.7 degrees Celsius.
Detailed Temperature Forecast
For Sunday, IMD predicts maximum temperatures ranging between 17°C to 19°C and minimum temperatures between 4°C to 6°C. Both minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to remain below normal levels, with deviations of -1.6°C to 3.0°C for minimums and -1.6°C to -3.0°C for maximums.
The meteorological department also anticipates predominant surface winds from the northwest direction with speeds less than 15 kmph during morning hours. Wind speeds are expected to decrease to approximately 10 kmph from the northwest in the afternoon, further reducing to about 8 kmph during evening and night hours.
Future Air Quality Outlook
Despite the current improvement, Delhi's air quality is likely to return to the poor category over the next two days according to weather predictions. This temporary respite highlights the ongoing challenge of air pollution management in the national capital region.
The combination of rainfall and changing wind patterns has created a brief window of cleaner air for Delhi residents, though sustained efforts remain necessary to address long-term air quality issues in the metropolitan area.
