Despite 'very poor' air, Delhi wakes up to clear skies

The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain around 27°C and 10°C, respectively

The air quality is expected to remain in the 'very poor' zone for five days. Credit: AFP Photo

Delhi-NCR woke up to a mainly clear sky with an overall air quality index (AQI) of 384 ('very poor') and a minimum temperature of around 10 degrees celsius.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature for the day will settle at 27 degrees Celsius, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain stable for a week.

The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 95 per cent.

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According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the level of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) and PM10 were in the 'very poor' zone and were the major pollutants.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 500 is considered 'severe'.

"Mostly calm or slow winds during the night are unfavourable for effective dispersion of pollutants. The air quality is likely to improve marginally but remain in the upper end of the 'very poor' category on November 27 and 28. The air quality is likely to remain in the 'very poor' category for the next five days. A gradual improvement is likely from November 27 till November 30, with PM2.5 expected to be the predominant pollutant," Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi (Ministry of Earth Sciences) said in its bulletin.

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