The national capital’s air quality improved markedly on Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 202 from 291 a day earlier, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) 4 pm national bulletin. Both figures fall within the ‘poor’ category.
Meteorological factors, particularly the strengthening north-westerly winds, played a key role in dispersing pollutants and improving Delhi’s air, weather experts said.
“Swift and continuous north-westerly winds, gusting up to 15 kmph over the past 12–15 hours, have dispersed air pollutants and significantly improved Delhi’s air quality,” said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Skymet Weather Services.
He added that winds, which had been calm earlier, picked up to around 5 kmph on Tuesday night and strengthened to 10–15 kmph through Wednesday morning and afternoon, gradually clearing pollutants from the city’s atmosphere.
According to data from the Sameer App, Delhi’s air quality showed a consistent pattern of improvement, with the city’s average AQI recorded at 226 at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, dropping to 205 at 2 p.m. and further to 197 by 7 p.m.
Palawat said that Delhi’s air quality is unlikely to deteriorate in the coming days, owing to the continued influence of north-westerly winds.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday forecast that north-westerly winds, gusting up to 15 kmph, are expected to persist over the next few days.