Delhi AQI at 214 (Poor) Saturday Morning; Moderate Category Likely Over Weekend

Delhi’s air quality showed improvement on Saturday morning but continued to remain in the lower end of the ‘poor’ category. According to official data, the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 214 at 9 am. This was slightly better than the 24-hour average AQI of 220 recorded on Friday afternoon. Strong surface winds have played a key role in preventing further deterioration. Weather conditions have largely supported dispersion of pollutants.

The improvement comes after a sudden spike in pollution levels earlier this week. Two days ago, Delhi’s AQI had slipped into the ‘very poor’ category due to an overnight build-up of PM2.5 particles. Such build-ups often occur during calm weather conditions. However, sustained winds over the past two days helped clear some of the accumulated pollutants. This helped stabilize air quality across the city.

Forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) suggest further improvement during the day. The bulletin stated that air quality is likely to remain in the ‘moderate’ category from Saturday to Sunday. On Monday, pollution levels may again slip into the ‘poor’ category. For the following six days, air quality is expected to largely remain poor. No major pollution spikes are predicted at present.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast strong surface winds to continue on Saturday. Wind speeds are expected to range between 15 and 25 kmph. These winds are favorable for dispersing pollutants. However, IMD officials said wind speed may reduce over the next few days. A decrease in wind speed could slow down further improvement in air quality.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 11.8°C on Saturday morning. This was about 2.4°C above the normal average for this time of year. IMD has forecast minimum temperatures to remain between 9°C and 11°C over the next couple of days. Overall weather conditions are expected to remain stable. Cleaner air is likely over the weekend due to prevailing wind patterns.

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