POLLUTION

Delhi's AQI Continues to Hover in 'Poor' Category For the Second Day In a Row; City Wrapped in Dense Fog

File photo.(IANS) — Representational image.
(IANS)

On Wednesday, Delhi woke up wrapped in a blanket of dense fog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) continuing to be under the "poor" category for a second consecutive day.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility levels dropped to 50 metres at the Palam Observatory near the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

"A cyclonic circulation has developed over Punjab and Haryana under the influence of a western disturbance affecting the western Himalayan region. Warm and humid easterly winds and cool northwesterly winds are interacting over the region due to this induced cyclonic circulation. The increase in humidity and condensation leads to fog formation. Such weather is not common in February," said senior meteorologist Mahesh Palawat.

Meanwhile, the overall AQI in Delhi was recorded at 273, according to data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

Both the significant pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 were recorded at 273 (poor) and 175 (moderate), respectively. The air quality is expected to improve on Thursday.

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"; and 401 and 500 "severe".

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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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