Delhi-NCR wakes up to clear sky, AQI 'satisfactory'

New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Delhi-NCR woke up to a clear sky on Tuesday morning with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recording a maximum temperature at 29 degrees Celsius and minimum at 16 degrees Celsius. The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) has also improved to the 'satisfactory' category.

The department has predicted similar weather for the next six days with maximum temperature at 29 degrees Celsius and minimum dipping as low as 14 degrees Celsius.

Relative humidity at 8.30 a.m. was recorded at 88 per cent.

After rainfall, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) has improved to the 'satisfactory' category. The level of PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollutants was recorded at 35 and 72, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

The overall AQI of Delhi is pegged at 72. Good precipitation on Sunday is the reason behind improved air quality. As per Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi has received its second-highest annual rainfall since 1933.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.

"As very calm local conditions are unlikely, rapid deterioration is not expected for the next three days. More fire emission is likely due to dry conditions in the next three days in the upwind region in the north-west. Due to which PM2.5 will increase.

"Drier conditions will increase PM10. Thus overall AQI will be in the upper end of satisfactory to lower end of moderate category for next 3 days. The effective fire counts observed in the last 24 hours are just 127 and the contribution in Delhi's PM2.5 is 6 per cent.

"However, as satellites highly underestimate the counts during cloudy and rainy periods, actual counts might be much higher," SAFAR data said.

"Now the transport level winds coming from Punjab and Haryana are highly favourable in terms of speed and direction at intrusion level and no likelihood of any rainfall, the impact of farm fire in Delhi's AQI is likely to be increasing rapidly from October 27. The AQI on 27th and 28th October are forecasted by SAFAR to be in the high end of Poor to lower end of Very poor category," it added.