The restrictions were dropped about a week ago when the AQI had improved. Delhi’s air quality index (AQI), which remained ‘moderate’ for eight days, plunged into the ‘poor’ category on Monday, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) to invoke Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The restrictions were dropped about a week ago when the AQI had improved. Against Sunday’s average AQI of 194, the Capital on Monday clocked an AQI of 206. This month, the city so far has recorded four ‘poor’ (201-300) air days, 19 ‘moderate’ (101-200) air days, and two ‘satisfactory’ (51-100) air days. AQI of Delhi has shown the trend due to variable surface wind and unfavorable meteorological conditions in Delhi-NCR,” noted the Commission in its order on Monday.
Apart from calm winds, “mainly clear skies” have also influenced the meteorological conditions in the city. At 36 degrees Celsius, the maximum temperature on Monday was around five degrees above normal, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The minimum temperature was the same as the previous day at 15 degrees Celsius, two degrees below the season’s normal. Till Wednesday, the city is expected to see “mainly clear skies” after which strong surface winds are forecast by the Met Office. This is expected to lower the temperatures by a degree or two showed the IMD’s forecast for the next seven days. The daytime temperatures are expected to hover between 34 and 38 degrees, and the nighttime temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the air quality will be in the ‘moderate’ category till Thursday after which it is expected to fluctuate between ‘moderate’ and ‘poor’.
