Delhi’s air quality improved to the ‘moderate’ category on Monday, following record rainfall over the weekend. The steady rainfall between Friday and Saturday helped reduce pollution levels in the national capital.
At 6 am, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 183, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI scale categorizes air quality as “good” (0-50), “satisfactory” (51-100), “moderate” (101-200), “poor” (201-300), “very poor” (301-400), “severe” (401-450), and “severe plus” (above 450).
On Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a maximum temperature of 18°C, two degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was 13°C, six degrees higher than the seasonal average for mid-December.
The city experienced its highest single-day December rainfall in 101 years over the weekend, marking the fifth-highest December rainfall since 1901. According to an IMD official, an active western disturbance combined with easterly winds was responsible for the downpour and thunderstorms across northwest and central India, including Delhi-NCR.
(with IANS input)