(Image source from: Moneycontrol.com)
On Friday, Delhi's air quality continued to hover in the "very poor" range for the second consecutive day after strong winds overnight stirred up dust, leading to reduced visibility and pushing pollution levels into the "poor" category on Thursday. It was anticipated that light rain could help alleviate these conditions later that day. The minimum temperature recorded was 26.2°C, slightly cooler than the normal by 0.3°C, and an increase from Thursday's 25.4°C. Temperatures were projected to rise to between 40 and 42°C. At 9 a.m. on Friday, the air quality index (AQI) registered at 297, classified as poor, compared to the previous day's 292 at 4 p.m. Dust enveloped the area for almost 12 hours, starting from 10 p.m. on Wednesday and continuing into Thursday. After noon, conditions gradually improved as winds pushed the dust eastward. Visibility dropped sharply from 4,500 meters at 10 p.m. Wednesday to just 1,200 meters by 11:30 p.m. A decrease in wind speed helped maintain high dust levels. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted thundery conditions that caught many by surprise.
The heightened dust concentrations caused a surge in PM10 levels. Observations from 24 stations by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee indicated that PM10 levels peaked at 2,969µg/m³ in Najafgarh. The accepted 24-hour limit for PM10 is 100µg/m³. PM10 refers to inhalable particles that effectively enter the lungs and pose health risks. A significant pressure gradient north-south across northwest India resulted in surface winds reaching 30 to 40 km/h in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and northern Rajasthan from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. According to the IMD, strong winds transported dust from Rajasthan's Thar desert into Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. An IMD representative mentioned that partly cloudy skies could linger throughout Friday. "There is a chance for very light rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds at speeds of 30 to 40 km/h, which could increase up to 50 km/h during thunderstorms later in the evening or night," they explained.
Another official from the IMD indicated that similar weather patterns might persist into Saturday, bringing potential for light rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds in the morning.
