New Delhi: Delhi-NCR saw a slight improvement in air quality on Wednesday morning, following moderate rainfall across the city the previous day. According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 273 around 7 a.m., placing it in the ‘poor’ category.
Despite the marginal relief, dense smog continued to linger over several parts of the national capital, indicating that pollution levels remain a concern.
Area-wise data revealed mixed air quality conditions across the city. The AQI at Anand Vihar stood at 280, categorised as ‘poor’, while Patpadganj recorded a higher AQI of 304, falling under the ‘very poor’ category. Several other monitoring stations also reported deteriorated air quality. Anand Vihar showed an AQI of 362, Ashok Vihar recorded 323, and Bawana reported 332.
Chandni Chowk registered an AQI of 340, while Dwarka Sector 8 and Mundka reported levels of 317 and 323, respectively, all indicating ‘very poor’ air quality.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the national capital is likely to witness generally cloudy conditions along with shallow fog during the early morning hours on Wednesday.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may range from 11 to 13 degrees Celsius. Similar weather patterns have been forecast for neighbouring regions as well. Noida is likely to experience mist or fog in the early hours, whereas Gurugram is expected to have clearer skies during the day.
On Tuesday, widespread rainfall was recorded across the Delhi-NCR region, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. Several areas of Delhi received light to moderate showers during the morning hours. Official data shows that Palam received 3.4 mm of rainfall, Ridge recorded 3.0 mm, and Pitampura logged 2.0 mm between 8.30 am and 11.30 am.
Looking ahead, the IMD has predicted generally cloudy skies for New Delhi with one or two spells of rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds ranging between 30 and 40 kmph on February 1. Gurugram is also likely to experience partly cloudy weather with intermittent rain or thunderstorms on February 1 and 2. Meanwhile, Noida is likely to see cloudy conditions with light rainfall on February 2.
(IANS)
