The air quality in Delhi disintegrated to the ‘severe category’ with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 492 on Saturday, according to information gave by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). A thick cover of fog has also inundated the national capital reducing visibility in parts of the Delhi. Train and flight services have also been disturbed because of the dense fog in Delhi and surrounding areas.
Around 80 flights origination from and more than 50 flights bound to Delhi airport have ben delayed, mainly because of dense fog and other operational reasons today, Delhi air terminal authorities said. Because of fog, only CAT IIIA and CATIII B complaint airplane and pilots can work. Travelers have been requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight data, the Delhi air terminal said.
9.8 temperature was recorded in Delhi’s Palam at 5:30 am today, which is probably going to fall by 0.2 during next 24 hours. Safdarjung recorded 8.6 temperature, which is probably going to rise by 1.2 during next 24 hours according to IMD. IMD added the minimum temperatures over the plains of North India is probably going to rise by 3-4 by the morning of January 18
On Friday, Delhi’s minimum temperature is 6.4 degrees Celsius, a a notch above normal due to partly cloudy weather, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The maximum temperature stood at 20.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal. The air quality was in the ‘severe category’ in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Faridabad and ‘exceptionally poor’ in Gurgaon on Friday. Pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 remained prominent in the air of the five immediate neighbours of Delhi, according to the air quality index (AQI) maintained by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the index, an AQI between zero 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’.
