NEW DELHI: Intermittent showers and gusty winds across the city gave the national capital its third ‘good’ air day of the year on Monday, cleaning up the air that lowered the air quality index (AQI) reading to 44, as per the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) daily air quality bulletin.
This was the second consecutive ‘good’ air day in a row. On Sunday, the city’s AQI was 47. Delhi recorded its first such day of the year on September 16 when the AQI reading was 47, similarly after a good rain and wind spell in the city. It was only after mid-September that the city saw rainfall in the last leg of the monsoon.
As per CPCB guidelines, on a scale of 0-500, an AQI reading of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor and 401-500 ‘severe’. This year with the monsoon being mostly dry, it is only on account of good and widespread rainfall and strong winds now that the city saw such clean air.
Safdarjung, Delhi’s base weather station received 21.8 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour period till 8.30 am on Monday. It again received 0.5mm of rain during the day till 8.30 pm. The continuing showers from Saturday brought the mercury down with the city seeing a record drop in the mercury.
On Monday, the maximum temperature was 23.6 degrees Celsius, which is 10 notches below the season’s average while the minimum settled at 19.2 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal for this time of the year.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) seven-day forecast, the national capital is likely to see overcast skies and light drizzle till Tuesday after which the weather is likely to go dry. While the national capital sees high levels of pollution starting in October every year, as monsoon withdraws and winters start to set in with pollutants from crop stubble burning in neighbouring states reaching Delhi and NCR.
These effects cause a major spike in pollution levels, while this year the extended rain spell has kept the air quality in check.
Rainfall so far in October 2nd highest in 16 years
Delhi has recorded 121.7 mm of rainfall in October so far, the second highest in the month since 2007, according to India Meteorological Department data. The city recorded 25.3 mm of rainfall on Saturday, 74.3 mm on Sunday and 21.8 mm on Monday.
The rainfall so far this month is around four times the normal rainfall of 28 mm and three times the precipitation recorded (41.6 mm) in August, which is the wettest month of the monsoon season.