Delhi Gets Cleaner Air After Rain; AQI Improves to ‘Poor’ Category
Delhi experienced a noticeable improvement in air quality and a drop in temperatures after Friday’s rainfall, which brought much-needed relief from persistent pollution levels. Residents woke up to clearer skies and less polluted air on Saturday, a day after the national capital recorded its first rain of the year.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the rainfall on Friday was also the highest January rainfall in the past two years. The last comparable spell was recorded on January 30, 2023, when Delhi received 20.4 mm of rain.
The showers led to a sharp fall in temperatures and helped disperse pollutants that had kept air quality in the severe to very poor range over the past few days.
Delhi AQI Update
After fluctuating between severe and very poor levels earlier this week, Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 282, placing it in the poor category. At 7 AM on Saturday, the AQI further improved to 264, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed that 29 monitoring stations were in the poor category during morning hours, while four stations each recorded very poor and moderate air quality levels.
As per CPCB classification, AQI values between 201 and 300 fall under the poor category, while readings above 300 are considered very poor or severe.
The air quality warning system has indicated that Delhi’s AQI is likely to remain in the poor category on Saturday and is expected to stay similar through January 25 and 26.
Delhi Weather Forecast for Saturday
The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky for Saturday, along with shallow to moderate fog during the morning hours. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 7°C, while the maximum temperature may settle near 16°C.
In its weather bulletin, the IMD said that minimum temperatures are likely to remain near normal, while maximum temperatures could stay 2.3°C to 4.3°C below normal. An IMD scientist told Press Trust of India that minimum temperatures may dip further due to the impact of rainfall.
Surface winds are expected to remain light in the morning, blowing from the north at speeds below 10 kmph. Wind speeds may increase to around 15 kmph from the northwest during afternoon hours.
Temperature Trends
Friday also recorded the highest minimum temperature in four years, with the mercury settling at 13.7°C, according to official data. The last time Delhi witnessed a higher minimum temperature in January was on January 9, 2022, when it stood at 13.8°C.
Meteorologists attributed the relatively higher minimum temperatures to persistent cloud cover and rainfall.
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