Delhi's air quality improves to 'satisfactory' as rain lashes national capital, AQI at 90

New Delhi: Delhi's air quality improved from the 'moderate' to 'satisfactory' category on Sunday morning due to heavy rainfall and thunderstorm in the national capital region and adjoining areas for two continuous days.

"Delhi's air quality improves to 'Satisfactory' category with Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 90 on Sunday morning,'' according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India.

Delhi's air quality improves to 'Satisfactory' category with Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 90, as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India pic.twitter.com/VZU8Fu0bMe — ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2022

"Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain with few spells of heavy intensity rain would continue to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had said in a tweet earlier.

"Light intensity rain/drizzle to moderate rain would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of North Delhi, South-East Delhi, NewDelhi, Lodi road, East-Delhi, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Gohana, Gannaur, Sonipat," the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC), New Delhi had also tweeted.

On Saturday, Delhi`s air quality had improved from the `poor` category to `moderate` with Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 132 as the capital city and its adjoining areas witnessed heavy rainfall and thunderstorm during the daytime.

This was the best air quality in Delhi since October 26 last year, when it was recorded at 139. On Thursday, the air quality in Delhi stood at 258.

On Saturday, the air quality of Noida remained in the 'moderate' category with the AQI at 110, the air quality of Gurugram was also in the `moderate` category with the AQI at 156.

Weather officials said the drastic improvement in the National Capital's air quality was due to rains because of back-to-back western disturbances and high-speed winds of up to 15-20 kmph sweeping through the region. SAFAR said the AQI may further improve to the "good" category due to prevailing rains and high-speed winds.

December 2021 had recorded the longest streak of six "severe" air quality days in Delhi since 2015.

As per the government agencies, the 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`. 

Delhi recorded its highest rainfall in a day for January in 22 years on Saturday, yielding the city's best air quality in over two months even as the minimum temperature settled at 15 degrees Celsius, eight notches above normal. The record rainfall led to waterlogging at several low-lying areas.