Delhi air remains cleanest for 11 days in a row; rain predicted on Monday

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the 'satisfactory' category for the 11th consecutive day on Sunday, the cleanest spell recorded so far this year.

The AQI was recorded at 76 at 4 pm on Sunday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

It has remained below 100 throughout the last 11 days, after plunging from 134 (moderate category) on June 25 to 94 (satisfactory) on June 26.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.

The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday, which is 0.5 degrees above the season's average. The minimum temperature was at 28.8 degrees Celsius, while the relative humidity stood at 83 per cent at 5.30 pm.

Meanwhile, most parts of the city recorded below-normal maximum temperatures on Sunday. 

Safdarjung, the city's base weather station, recorded 35 degrees Celsius, while Palam was relatively cooler at 33.5 degrees Celsius, 3.9 degrees below normal and a three-degree drop from the previous day, the IMD report said.

Minimum temperatures remained close to normal, with Safdarjung logging 28.8 degrees Celsius. Night temperatures showed slight variations across locations but remained within the seasonal range.

As for rainfall, moderate showers were reported in several parts of the city since Saturday. Ayanagar recorded the highest rainfall at 11.7 mm in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. Palam received 20.9 mm rain, Lodi Road 1.5 mm, and Safdarjung 0.8 mm.

The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for Monday, predicting light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 33 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively, it said.