NEW DELHI: July, for the national capital, was a month of weather contrasts, recording its most polluted July in seven years, despite witnessing the month’s first “good” air quality day in nearly a decade. Above-normal monsoon rainfall fuelled by a few intense spells after a prolonged dry phase, was recorded, and the warmest average day and night temperatures in two years.
The city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 119 during the first 30 days of July, making it the highest monthly average for the month since 2019, when it was 134, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The average was significantly higher than last July’s monthly average of 78.
At the Safdarjung observatory, the city’s base station, 254.7 mm of rainfall was recorded during July against the normal of 201.9 mm, an excess of 52.8 mm or 26%. Since the onset of the southwest monsoon, Safdarjung has recorded 296.5 mm of rainfall against the seasonal normal of 276 mm, a surplus of 20.5 mm or 7%.
Mahesh Palawat at Skymet Weather said the above-normal rainfall despite fewer rainy days was due to an unusually long break in the monsoon.
On Thursday, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, settled at 35.8 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches above normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 35 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch above normal.
Rain reportedly evaded certain areas of the city while Safdarjung recorded 3.3 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Thursday, while Palam received 3 mm during the period. Lodhi Road recorded a trace of rainfall, while Ayanagar did not receive any rainfall.