Delhi-NCR experienced light rain on Saturday evening, providing much-needed relief from dense fog and improving the air quality. As a result, the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to the ‘poor’ category on Sunday morning, offering some respite to residents.
Delhi recorded a low of 7.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while the maximum temperature reached 17 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The city woke up to dense fog, which led to the delay of at least 45 trains. However, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) remained largely unaffected.
The IMD forecasted a generally cloudy sky with light rain on Sunday, suggesting that the weather conditions could continue to provide some relief from the chilly temperatures.
The dense fog and stagnant air in the past few days had pushed Delhi’s AQI into the ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ range. However, the rain helped clear the air, and by Sunday morning, the AQI had improved to the ‘poor’ category. According to the Centre’s Sameer app, the overall AQI in Delhi stood at 285 around 5 a.m. on Sunday.
The AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows:
Meanwhile, cold wave conditions persist in other parts of northern India, including Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, where temperatures have dipped below freezing. The local meteorological department has forecast moderate rain in low-lying areas and snow in isolated regions of the middle and high hills, including Shimla and Manali, over the weekend.
A fresh western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from the night of January 14, 2025. The IMD has predicted light rain and snow in isolated places in the middle and high hills on Thursday and Friday.
As the weather improves, authorities hope that the air quality will continue to improve in the coming days.
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