Delhi Records Lowest AQI In Three Years; Karnataka Braces For Heatwave

Delhi’s air quality improved significantly on Saturday, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 85 – the lowest recorded for the period between 1 January and 15 March in the last three years.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) stated that this marks the first time in 2024 that the AQI has fallen into the ‘Satisfactory’ category, which ranges between 50 and 100.

Taking to X, CAQM posted, “Today, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 85, the lowest in the last three years for the period from 01st January to 15th March. Today’s AQI is also the first day of the current year with a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI (AQI 51-100).”

“Delhi has witnessed a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI in the month of March, for the first time in five years since 2020,” the post further added.

Karnataka Faces Rising Temperatures

Meanwhile, as winter recedes, rising temperatures are gripping parts of Karnataka.

Ainapur Hobli village in Kalaburagi district recorded a maximum temperature of 42.8 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a temperature rise of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in north Interior Karnataka from 15 to 17 March.

Additionally, a heatwave warning has issued for isolated areas in the region, with extreme conditions expected on 18 and 19 March.

South Interior Karnataka will see a gradual increase of 2-3 degrees Celsius in the coming days, although no major temperature shift is expected in the next 24 hours.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), several locations in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Bagalkote, Raichur, Yadgir, and Vijayapura districts recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Dark clouds covered the sky in Delhi-NCR, bringing a shift in weather, while parts of South Delhi saw light rainfall on Friday evening.

The IMD has predicted partly cloudy conditions with a possibility of scattered light rain over the plains of Northwest India.

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