POLLUTION

Diwali Pollution: Delhi's AQI Spikes to 304, Eight Monitoring Stations Report Very Poor Air Quality

Vehicles ply on the road as the air quality deteriorates in Delhi-NCR due to a duststorm on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. — Representational Image
(BCCL)

A day before Diwali, air pollution levels in Delhi spiked, with eight monitoring stations reporting very poor air quality. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to 278 at 9 AM, up from 268 the day before. Despite a slight improvement from Tuesday, when the AQI was 304, the city remained in the 'poor' category.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that out of 36 monitoring stations, eight—Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur—recorded "very poor" AQI levels in the morning.

The minimum temperature in Delhi was 21 degrees Celsius, which is 4.9 degrees above normal for this time of year, with humidity at 83%. The day is expected to have mainly clear skies and a maximum temperature of around 36 degrees Celsius.

While Gurgaon is expected to see better air quality with an AQI forecast of 77.51 (satisfactory) for Diwali, Noida will not experience the same relief, with a projected AQI of 208.92 (poor).

**

For weather, science, space, and COVID-19 updates on the go, download The Weather Channel App (on Android and iOS store). It's free!

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives.