Delhi’s winter chill intensifies as rains boost air quality

Heavy rainfall that lashed Delhi not only intensified the winter chill but also contributed to an improvement in the city’s air quality.

The Safdarjung observatory, serving as the official marker for Delhi, reported 27 mm of precipitation in the last 24 hours concluding at 8:30 am on Thursday, according to official sources.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi on Thursday morning exhibited a notable improvement, standing at 250. This was a significant drop from the reading of 386 recorded at 7 pm on Wednesday.

The AQI scale categorises air quality as follows: ‘good’ for readings between zero and 50, ‘satisfactory’ for 51 to 100, ‘moderate’ for 101 to 200, ‘poor’ for 201 to 300, ‘very poor’ for 301 to 400, and ‘severe’ for 401 to 500.

Thursday’s minimum temperature was registered at 12.3 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average, while the humidity reached 100 percent at 8:30 am.

The weather forecast predicted a predominantly cloudy sky with the possibility of very light rain throughout the day. The maximum temperature is anticipated to hover around 19 degrees Celsius.

The previous day, parts of the national capital experienced substantial rainfall, leading to a noteworthy decline in the maximum temperature recorded in the city.

(With PTI inputs)