At 12 p.m., the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 292 (bad), down from 330 (very poor) at 4 p.m. the previous day.
Despite the fact that Delhi’s air quality has been steadily improving since Friday, when the city recorded the lowest temperature of the season—4.9°C—surface winds of 10-15 km/h helped lift the category to “poor” on Tuesday, following 12 days of “very poor” air.
When compared to 330 (extremely poor) at 4pm the day before, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 12pm was 292 (poor). The last time the AQI of 286 fell into the “poor” category was December 6. When the AQI was 415 on November 24, Delhi did not record a “severe” air day.
With a decrease in wind speed, the air quality was predicted to drop to the “very poor” category by Wednesday. The Early Warning System forecast indicated that although while the minimum temperature was projected to stay around 7°C for the following three days, the air quality was predicted to drastically worsen and reach the upper end of the “very poor” category, Tuesday’s minimum temperature of 7.8°C was typical for this time of year. It was Monday, 7.1°C.
On Friday, another disturbance from the west was expected to approach the Capital. The wind typically shifts to the warmer south-easterly direction in response to a disturbance in the west. In addition, it delivers clouds and precipitation, which warms the nights by retaining the heat that the surface absorbs during the day.
Scientist Kuldeep Srivastava of the India Metrological Department said that starting on Friday, the plains will see cloud cover as a result of the western disturbance. “This will prevent a drop in the minimum temperature.”
