When 'very poor' AQI is a relief: Delhi experiences its 2nd best air quality post-Diwali since 2015, here's how

The morning after Diwali, on October 1st, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to 'very poor' levels. In areas like RK Puram, it even approached the 'severe' category, hitting a staggering 398. Despite this concerning spike, Delhi recorded its second cleanest air post-Diwali since 2015. This improvement wasn't due to a decrease in firecracker use driven by environmental concerns, but rather thanks to strong winds sweeping through the city. Once again, it's nature that has come to our rescue.

Delhi's air quality just became the second cleanest after Diwali since 2015, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the "very poor" range rather than slipping into the "severe" category.?

This positive trend is largely attributed to strong winds blowing at speeds of up to 16 kilometers per hour, which helped ventilate the atmosphere.

On Thursday night, the 24-hour AQI gradually increased from 328 in the early evening to 338 at midnight, peaking at 362 by 9 a.m. on Friday.?

However, a pleasant surprise came as strong, consistent winds moved through the city, clearing away the thick smoke and reducing the AQI to 339 by 4 p.m., and further improving it to 323 by 7 p.m.

Additionally, higher temperatures provided some relief - the India Meteorological Department reported that this October in India has been the warmest since 1901, with average temperatures 1.23 degrees Celsius above normal, a phenomenon linked to temperature inversion.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet Meteorology, elaborated on the relationship between temperature and pollution: "Higher temperature keeps mixing height high and allows pollutants to move and disperse freely. Low temperature slows down wind speed and also traps pollutants closer to the surface through a phenomena called inversion."

He also noted that while winter typically sees mixing heights drop to just 200-300 meters, Thursday maintained a mixing height of an impressive 2,100 meters.

To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.