Delhis air quality improves as temperature plummets, cold wave likely to grip national capital

PTC News Desk: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, warning that dense fog is likely to reduce visibility during the early hours of Saturday. The minimum temperature is expected to range between six and eight degrees Celsius, lower than Friday’s minimum of nine degrees.

According to the IMD, isolated parts of the city may experience cold wave conditions from January 3 to January 6. A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature falls 4.5 to 6.5 degrees Celsius below the normal level. On Saturday, the minimum temperature is likely to be around seven degrees Celsius, while the maximum may reach about 18 degrees, with dense morning fog. Similar cold wave conditions are also forecast for isolated areas of Delhi and Haryana.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality showed improvement on Friday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 236 from 380 the previous day. The maximum temperature settled at 17.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.9 degrees below normal, while the minimum stood at 9.1 degrees Celsius, about 2.2 degrees above the seasonal average, the IMD said.

Following the improvement, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas on Friday revoked curbs imposed under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

“The AQI of Delhi, which was recorded as 380 on Thursday, has significantly improved and recorded 236 at 4 pm on Friday, exhibiting a trend. Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP decides to revoke all actions as envisaged under Stage III of the extant GRAP, with immediate effect, in the entire NCR,” an official said.

“All actions under Stages I and II of the extant GRAP will remain in force in the NCR,” the official added.