Delhi breathed its cleanest air for any day between January 1 and August 8 in the past six years, according to the Centre’s air quality panel CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management).
The national capital on Thursday recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 53, which falls in the satisfactory category. The improvement in the air quality comes as Delhi has been witnessing spells of heavy rain in the past few days during this monsoon season.
The CAQM, in a tweet, said that the city recorded its cleanest AQI for any day between January 1 and August 8 during the period from 2018 to 2024. The AQI reading was 53 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.
Light rainfall hit parts of Delhi on Thursday, bringing some relief to the people from the humid weather conditions. The maximum temperature was recorded at 34.1 degrees Celsius, normal during the season, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The minimum temperature settled at 25.4 degrees Celsius, 1.5 notches below normal, the IMD said.
Traffic was affected in several areas due to waterlogging and uprooting of trees. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) received 18 complaints related to waterlogging and 16 on uprooting of trees.
The weatherman has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rainfall on Friday and the maximum and minimum temperatures were predicted to settle at 34 and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Delhi has recorded 554.6 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 1, with significant contributions from two extreme weather events: 228.1 mm on June 28 and 107.6 mm on August 1.
On June 28, the day when the monsoon hit Delhi, the national capital recorded a staggering 228.1 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, which was the second-highest rainfall in the month of June in 88 years.
The highest-ever rainfall recorded in 24 hours at Safdarjung, the primary observatory of the city, during June was 235.5 mm on June 28, 1936.
On July 31, the national capital received 108 mm of rain in 24 hours, breaking the record for the highest showers in a single day in July in 14 years.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology and climate change of Skymet, said the last record of the highest 24-hour rain in July was recorded in 2010. The record is 184 mm of rain in 24 hours on July 2, 1961.