Delhi weather: After record rainfall, air quality improves to 'moderate'; overall AQI at 183

The city on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal.

The National Capital's air quality improved to the 'moderate category' on Monday morning, thanks to the record rainfall that affected the city last Friday and Saturday.

Around 6 a.m. on Monday, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 183. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI classifications are as follows: 0-50 is considered "good," 51-100 is "satisfactory," 101-200 is "moderate," 201-300 is "poor," 301-400 is "very poor," 401-450 is "severe," and above 450 is classified as "severe plus."

Out of the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi listed in the Sameer app, which provides hourly data on the National Air Quality Index, 23 stations' AQIs were moderate. Meanwhile, one station—IHBAS, Dilshad Garden—had an AQI of 95, which is considered satisfactory.

According to the Indian Metrological Department (IMD), the city on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal. The minimum temperature stood at 13 degrees Celsius on Sunday, six notches above the season's average for this time of the month.

The 24-hour AQI was recorded at 225 in the 'poor' category at 4 pm on Sunday. On Saturday, the city's AQI was in the 'moderate' category.

Delhi recorded the highest single-day December rainfall between Friday and Saturday in 101 years. According to the weather department, the city recorded 41.2 mm of rain in the past 24 hours till 8.30 am on Saturday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the capital experienced its highest-ever rainfall on a single day for December on December 3, 1923, with a record of 75.7 mm.

Additionally, the rainfall in December 2024 was noted as the fifth-highest monthly total since records began in 1901, according to an official from the weather department. The IMD attributed the rainfall and thunderstorms over northwest and central India, including Delhi-NCR, to an active western disturbance interacting with easterly winds.