Delhi breaths better air, mercury to rise

The national capital and its surrounding regions around it breathed better in weeks with the air quality "moderate" on Monday, while the maximum temperature, at 36.8 degree Celsius, three notches below average, remained same over past 24 hours.

However, the mercury is set to rise over next two days and will hover around 41 to 43 degrees, warn the weather analysts. Minimum temperature was recorded at 27.9 degree Celsius, which is also the season's average.

The air quality of enture region however improved markedly to moderate, two steps from being 'good', even as Delhi's air went severe from June 13 to 15, due to dust-raising winds from Rajasthan.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was 171 or moderate on a scale of 0 to 500, for Delhi against 289 or poor on Sunday. The AQI for Ghaziabad improved from 320 or very poor on Sunday to 182 or moderate on Monday.

In Noida, the AQI was 166 or moderate against 355 or "very poor" against on Sunday. Gurugram's air remained the most polluted with AQI 283 or poor, agasint 377 or very poor on Sunday.

"Due to northwesterly winds there will be further improvement in the air of Delhi and the region around it, however, the temperatures are likly to increase," Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather analyst agency, Skymet told IANS.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tuesday will see partly cloudy sky with maximum temperature around 39 degrees.

"By Friday, the maximum temperatures around Delhi region will hover around 42 degrees," said an official at IMD.

The humidity on Monday oscillated between 41 to 60 percent.

Sunday's maximum temperature was recorded at 36.8 degree Celsius, three notches below the season's average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 28.2 degrees.

--IANS

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