New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ category for the second consecutive day with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 217 on Thursday. It may improve and reach the ‘moderate’ category on Friday.
The city also experienced the warmest day of the year on Thursday. The maximum rose by three degrees. The Ridge recorded 40.6 degrees Celsius. At Safdarjung, the maximum was 39 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal and the highest of the year so far.
Regarding air quality, the Central Pollution Control Board’s data shows that this year, the city has seen 56 days of AQIs above 200. “The drop in the wind speed caused the accumulation of pollution on Wednesday and Thursday. The wind speed is likely to rise during daytime (on Friday),” an official said.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS), the AQI is likely to stay in the moderate zone from Friday to Sunday. In the subsequent six days, the air quality is likely to be ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’.
After Delhi’s AQI rose to 217 on Wednesday, the Commission for Air Quality Management imposed Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan with immediate effect in NCR.
The weather department did not declare a heatwave anywhere in the city.
A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and its increase from the season’s normal is over 4.5 degrees. Although at the Ridge, the maximum was 40.4 degrees Celsius, which was 5.7 degrees above normal, a heatwave wasn’t declared as at least two such stations must show heatwave conditions for two days.
The minimum temperature was 15.6 degrees Celsius.
The wind speed may be 20kmph on Friday. The maximum, however, is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
