PUNE: The air quality in the Indian capital, Delhi, has continued to deteriorate, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 454 in the Severe category on November 5, 2023. This alarming level of air pollution poses a significant health risk to the residents of Delhi.
These observations have been released by the air pollution system developed jointly by the scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India Meteorological Department, National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, USA.
According to the observations, predominant winds were blowing from Northwest directions with a wind speed of 4-6 kilometers per hour for a few hours during the daytime on November 5. However, the rest of the time witnessed calm winds, which contributed to the stagnation of pollutants in the atmosphere.
The air quality is expected to remain in the Severe category on November 6, and this trend is likely to persist from November 7 to November 9, the forecast said.
The prevailing surface winds in Delhi are forecasted to come from West-Northwest/Northeast directions with wind speeds ranging from 8 to 4 kilometers per hour on November 6, leading to mainly clear skies. However, the situation may not improve significantly as calm winds are predicted in the morning hours on November 7, coming from Northwest directions at a speed of 4-10 kilometers per hour, along with mist/shallow fog. On November 8, the predominant surface winds are expected to come from Northwest directions at a speed of 4-12 kilometers per hour, also accompanied by mist/shallow fog in the morning. November 9 will bring another morning of calm winds, coming from Northwest/Southeast directions at a speed of 4-12 kilometers per hour, with mist.
Mumbai also saw an AQI in the Moderate category, with a value of 198 on November 5. The air quality in Mumbai is expected to continue in the Moderate category from November 6 to November 7, indicating a relatively better situation compared to Delhi.
Pune reported an AQI of 183 on November 5, which is categorized as Moderate. Similar to Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the air quality in Pune is forecasted to remain in the Moderate category from November 6 to November 7.
