Delhi’s air quality slips to 'poor', worst in over 85 days
Dust-laden winds push AQI to 261; ‘feel-like’ temp nears 46°C
Delhi's air quality deteriorated sharply to the “poor” category on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 261, the highest recorded in more than 85 days, as dust-laden winds from West Asia pushed up pollution levels across the National Capital Region.
The AQI jumped from 140 on Saturday, crossing the 260 mark for the first time since April 17. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) attributed the sudden deterioration to long-range transnational winds carrying mineral dust generated by storm activity in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The dust plume moved towards northwestern India, including Delhi, leading to a sharp rise in PM10 concentrations.
The city also witnessed hot and humid weather conditions on Sunday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 36.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees above normal, while the minimum settled at 28.3 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal. The 'feel-like' temperature touched 45.7 degrees Celsius at 5.30 pm due to high humidity.
No rainfall was recorded in the city during the past 24 hours. Across the city, maximum temperatures ranged between 36°C and 37°C, with Lodhi Road recording the highest at 37°C, while the Ridge station remained relatively cooler at 36°C.
The IMD has forecast partly cloudy skies for Monday and Tuesday, with maximum temperatures likely to remain between 36°C and 38°C and minimum between 26°C and 28°C. Strong surface winds of 20–30 kmph, gusting up to 40 kmph during the day, are expected on Monday, which may help disperse dust and improve air quality gradually.
