Favourable winds help Delhi maintain 'poor' air quality for 2nd straight day

This marks the second consecutive day the AQI has shown an improvement after four days of "very poor" air quality.

In Short

• Delhi's air quality improves to 'poor' at 227
• Second day of air quality improvement after four days of 'very poor'
• Mundka, Anand Vihar continues to witness 'very poor' air quality

With five days left to Diwali, the air quality in Delhi improved to a "poor" level, clocking an air quality index (AQI) of 227 — from a “very poor” AQI of 306 on Thursday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said on Saturday. The CPCB attributed this improvement to strong surface winds.

On Friday, the air quality index in the national capital was recorded at 281.

This marks the second consecutive day the AQI has shown an improvement after four days of "very poor" air quality.

However, areas such as Mundka and Anand Vihar continued to record "very poor" AQI.

The air quality is classified under four different stages: Stage I -- "poor" (AQI 201-300); Stage II -- "very poor" (AQI 301-400); Stage III -- "severe" (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV -- "severe plus" (AQI above 450).

Air quality is expected to deteriorate in the coming days, with pollution levels potentially reaching an AQI of 400 by October 31, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.

Favourable wind conditions are likely to persist in the next day, but weather changes could drive pollution up within two to three days.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 18.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above the seasonal average. Humidity was at 68 percent as of 8:30 am, the India Meteorological Department said.

The weather is forecast to remain mostly clear today, with temperatures expected to reach a high of around 34 degrees Celsius.