The improvement in air quality in Delhi was on account of strong winds over the city owing to a difference in the maximum and minimum temperatures.
Temperature is expected to go down again in Delhi from Sunday (January 24) onwards due to a fresh western disturbance in the western Himalayas, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cold will make a return in the national capital after a few warm and windy days.
"From January 24 (Sunday), the minimum temperature will start falling and from January 25, the maximum temperature will also see a fall. This will primarily be because of the cold winds blowing from Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh after spells of rain and snow on January 23," said the IMD.
On January 21, the maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal for this time of the season. The minimum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung weather station was 7.4 degrees Celsius. The minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded at 7.2 degrees Celsius and 20.2 degrees Celsius respectively at the Palam weather station.
The temperature will stay in the same range — minimum temperature near 6-7 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature around 20 degrees Celsius — till Saturday (January 23).
As for the air quality in Delhi, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital recorded a 'poor' 296 on January 21, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). The average AQI was recorded at 283 on Wednesday (January 20).
The improvement was on account of strong winds over the city on these days owing to a difference in the maximum and minimum temperatures, according to the scientists.
The air quality though is slated to deteriorate on January 23 but it is going to improve from the next day once winds pick up again.
"The AQI is forecasted to be in the ‘poor’ category on January 22. Under the influence of a fresh western disturbance, winds are forecasted to increase on January 23 and marginal improvement in AQI is forecasted for January 23 and January 24. However, despite the improvement, the AQI will remain within the ‘very poor’ category," read the SAFAR forecast.
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