Delhi braces for warmer days; dust storm pushes air quality to 'poor'

A sudden dust storm struck Delhi-NCR on Thursday morning, covering the region in a dense cloud of dust and disrupting normal life in the capital and nearby cities. Following a period of extreme heat, the storm led to poor visibility and created major difficulties for commuters, especially office-goers during the morning rush hour.

 

Today’s forecast: Strong surface winds expected 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast strong surface winds for today. The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 40 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to settle around 25 degrees Celsius.

 

Weather forecast for the week 

In the earlier part of this week, rainfall and thunderstorms lashed the national capital, bringing down temperatures significantly. Strong gusty winds are likely to continue until today. Cloudy skies are expected to persist for the rest of the week. Strong surface winds, reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph during storms, will also be seen. According to the IMD, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 40 degrees Celsius from 14 to 17 May. 

 

 

Air quality deteriorates to ‘poor’ category 

Air quality in Delhi deteriorated to the ‘poor’ category on Friday morning following a massive dust storm in Delhi-NCR on Thursday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 298 at 8 am on 16 May, compared to 236 at the same time a day earlier.

 

The AQI across Delhi-NCR also moved to the ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’ category. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 292 at 4 pm on 15 May. In Gurugram, the AQI dropped to 316, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 276 and 246, respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 278. 

 

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’.