Delhi, 24 December (H.S.): Delhi woke up to ‘severe’ category air quality on Tuesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at a staggering 401 at 7 am.
This comes a day after the city received light rain, which unfortunately failed to bring down the pollution levels significantly. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good,” while an AQI of 401-450 is classified as “severe.”
The highest AQI was recorded at the Bawana monitoring station (455), while the IHBAS Dilshad Garden station had the best air quality at 222 – still in the “poor” category. The weather conditions in Delhi also added to the challenge, with a maximum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius, which is 2.3 degrees below the season’s average, following drizzle on Monday morning.
Foggy conditions were observed early in the day, with humidity levels ranging from 79 per cent to 95 per cent.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted cloudy skies and light rain for Tuesday, with temperatures expected to settle at 19 and 9 degrees Celsius for maximum and minimum temperatures, respectively. Apart from Delhi, several areas in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh also experienced a drop in day temperatures due to light rain on Monday.
In Kashmir, intense cold wave conditions persisted with temperatures dipping below freezing point. In Himachal Pradesh, Shimla and nearby areas saw light snowfall, leading to the closure of 30 roads in the state.
Hindusthan Samachar
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