Delhi's AQI recorded in 'poor' category for 2 consecutive days

New Delhi: Delhi has received a respite from toxic air in the first two days of December as the city's AQI remained in the "poor" category on Monday, recording a reading of 280.

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city was recorded at 280 at 4 pm, registering a slight improvement from 285 on Sunday.

The air quality shifted from "poor" to "very poor" on October 30, after which it intermittently remained in the "very poor" and "severe" categories.

On Sunday, for the first time in 32 days, the capital's AQI dipped below 300, aided by dry northwesterly winds and ample sunlight.

Of the 38 monitoring stations in the city, 12 recorded the air quality in the "very poor" category on Monday, while 25 recorded it in the "poor" category and one station reported "satisfactory" results, according to the Sameer app.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies AQI between 0 and 50 as "good", between 51 and 100 as "satisfactory", between 101 and 200 as "moderate", between 201 and 300 as "poor", between 301 and 400 as "very poor", and above 400 as "severe".

The primary pollutant on Monday was PM2.5, with levels recorded at 106 µg/m³ at 3 pm.

These fine particles pose significant health risks as these can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

Vehicular emissions, as reported by the Centre's Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, are typically updated at 12 noon every day.

However, the data for Saturday, Sunday and Monday was unavailable on the website until 4 pm, with the most recent estimate reflecting Friday's contribution, which accounted for 21.4 per cent of Delhi's pollution.

The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi observed that the predominant surface wind was from the northwest direction, with speeds of less than 8 kmph during the morning hours. Smog and shallow fog are likely in the morning, with the wind speed expected to decrease later in the evening and night.

Smog and mist and fog are likely in the evening and night, with mainly clear skies predicted for Tuesday.

The air quality is expected to remain in the "poor" category from Tuesday to Thursday.

Meanwhile, it was another sunny day for Delhiites, with the daytime temperature recorded at 27.4 degrees Celsius, 2.1 notches above normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The city reported a minimum temperature (nighttime temperature) of 10.4 degrees Celsius, 0.9 notches above the season's average, with humidity levels fluctuating between 89 per cent and 61 per cent during the day.

The weather department has forecast a shallow fog for Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 27 degrees Celsius and 11 degrees Celsius respectively.