Delhi weather: Air quality improves to 'moderate' category due to rains, strong winds

Delhi residents heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as rains and strong winds improved the air quality. Along with the showers, the temperature in Delhi also dipped on Thursday morning. The air quality in Delhi was recorded at 109 at 8am, which falls in the 'moderate' category. The air quality even improved to 'satisfactory' category in some parts of the city.

However, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) stated that the air quality is likely to deteriorate to 'poor' on Friday.  

The AQI was recorded at 151 in Chandni Chowk, while it was 110 at the airport, both of which fall in the 'moderate' category. In Dhirpur area, the PM10 and PM2.5 were both recorded at 92, while it were recorded at 105 and 85 in Lodhi Road. At IIT Delhi PM10 was 110 and PM2.5 was at 90, while it was 123 and 158 at Delhi University.

The AQI in Gurugram was recorded at 109 this morning.

An AQI between 0-50 falls in the 'good' category, while 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 is 'moderate', 201-300 is 'poor', 301-400 is 'very poor' and 401-500 is 'severe/hazardous'  category.

Thunderstorms and lightning as well as hailstorms are likely to be witnessed in isolated places over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the next 24 hours. These showers would take place under the influence of the western disturbance, as mentioned by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh witnessed snowfall in parts of the state. Banjar area in Kullu district was covered in a blanket of snow on Thursday. 

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