Delhi continued struggling with serious air pollution on Wednesday as the air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the “very poor” category. Isolated areas experienced shallow to moderate fog, and the minimum temperature increased slightly above normal.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 7.7°C, which is 0.2°C higher than the average temperature. The minimum temperatures are expected to rise gradually in the next two days, and the readings are likely to remain around 9-11°C by Friday. But again, the temperatures are expected to drop to 6-8°C over the weekend.
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AQI shows marginal dip
The air quality parameters indicated a slight improvement but remained alarming. At 8 am on Wednesday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 339, which categorises it squarely in the “very poor” category. This was slightly lower than the 24-hour average AQI of 354 recorded at 4 pm on Tuesday. Tuesday also marked the end of Delhi’s longest period of worst air quality levels for the month since 2021, as per official records.
Stage 4 curbs revoked as conditions ease
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and nearby areas has lifted the Stage 4 restrictions from the Graded Response Action Plan owing to the slight increase in air quality. These had been imposed during the sudden increase in pollution seen early in the week.
Outlook remains unfavourable
Despite this, there is little relief in store, according to the forecast, despite the restrictions being removed. The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), which operates in the national capital of Delhi, indicates that there will be no improvement in air quality soon. This was shown in the AQEWS alert issued on Wednesday, stating that the air quality would remain in the very poor to poor category.
The IMD predicts that the sky will remain cloudy till Wednesday and has already issued a yellow warning for Friday. There are forecasts of very light to light rain, thunder showers, and gusty winds of 30-40 km per hour, along with stronger winds to extend through the weekend.
