Delhi's AQI deteriorates to higher end of very poor category; drizzle likely

IMD has said the impact of a western disturbance is expected to be felt across Delhi-NCR towards Sunday night

New Delhi: Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the upper end of the 'very poor' category on Sunday, even as minimum temperature continued to remain normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said the impact of a western disturbance is expected to be felt across Delhi-NCR towards Sunday night, with chances of light rain or drizzle occurring in some areas.

A view of the Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi on Saturday.

Delhi's average AQI stood at 276 (poor) at 9 am, which was a rise from Saturday's 4 pm reading of 233 (poor). It was 197 (moderate) at 4 pm on Friday, in what has been a consistent rise in AQI as mercury plummets.

The minimum temperature on Sunday was 7.4°C, which was two degrees below normal. This was marginally higher than the reading of 7.1°C recorded on Saturday, which is the lowest minimum so far this season. The IMD has forecast a marginal rise in minimum temperature to 8°C on Monday, before it dips once again — hovering around 6°C on Tuesday.

"The impact of the western disturbance will likely to be seen in the region late on Sunday evening or night-time, where some drizzle may occur. This western disturbance should bring fresh snowfall to the Himalayas too and from Tuesday, we expect cold northwesterly winds to start blowing again, which will lead to a drop in temperature in the plains," said an IMD official.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet meteorology said Delhi's AQI had improved to moderate last week, on account of strong winds and bright sunshine. "These winds have now slowed down due to the western disturbance. The night-time temperature has also dipped sharply, which again negatively impacts dispersion," he said.

CPCB data at 9 am showed out of the 38 ambient air quality stations online, 12 were in the 'very poor' range with an AQI over 300. The highest AQI was 356 at Shadipur.

Forecasts by the Centre's Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) show the AQI should remain in the poor range on Monday too, before dipping to very poor by Tuesday.