Delhi AQI drops by 155 points as rain and winds bring major relief

New Delhi: The AQI in Delhi improved on Friday, dropping to 218 from 373 the previous day, marking a decrease of 155 points, with experts citing rainfall and increased wind speed across the National Capital Region as key factors behind the change.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 218 at 4 pm, down from Thursday's reading of 373, which was classified as "very poor." 

Data from the CPCB-developed Sameer app indicated that while the overall AQI improved, the Wazipur station still registered a "very poor" category with a reading of 307. On Thursday, 37 out of 38 monitoring stations in the city reported "very poor" air quality, with readings above 300.

Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather, noted that both weather conditions and wind were crucial to the AQI improvement. Light rain reported in outer Delhi and surrounding areas, such as Faridabad and Noida, helped settle pollutants and clear the air.

"The wind also contributed; while it was calm in the city yesterday, it picked up to around 7–8 km/h today, which may be one reason for the improvement," said Palawat.

Delhi, which has been witnessing a drop in air quality since Diwali, recorded 'very poor' air quality with an AQI of 373, the highest in the last three years. However, the Air Quality Early Warning System For Delhi predicts that the city's air quality is likely to remain in the "very poor" category from Saturday through November 3.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe.

On Friday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 30.7 degrees Celsius, four degrees below the seasonal average, while the minimum temperature settled at 21.6 degrees Celsius, about 5.5 degrees above normal.

The relative humidity stood at 82 per cent at 5.30 pm. The weather department forecasts shallow fog for Saturday, with minimum and maximum temperatures expected to be around 19 and 31 degrees Celsius, respectively.