AQI at 134, capital breathes cleanest air in four months

New Delhi: The city saw its best air quality in four months on Thursday, as strong winds helped improve the air quality from poor to moderate levels. The air quality index (AQI), which ranges from 0 to 500, was 134, categorised as moderate, compared to 212 (poor) on Wednesday and 293 the previous Thursday. This marks the city's best air quality since Oct 10, 2024, when the AQI was 132, also moderate. The AQI scale is as follows: 0-50 is good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor, and 401-500 is severe. On Thursday, the AQI at 12 pm was 126 but deteriorated to 133 by 3 pm. According to IITM's early warning system, the air quality is expected to remain ‘moderate'. "The air quality is likely to stay in the ‘moderate' category from Feb 13 to Feb 15. On Feb 16, it is expected to deteriorate to the ‘poor' category. The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates that the air quality will likely remain in the ‘poor' category," stated the early warning system. The city has been experiencing gusty winds over the past few days, reaching speeds of up to 25 kmph. On Thursday, the wind speed reached 20 kmph, coming from the north-west, bringing cool and dry air, which also helped prevent the maximum daytime temperatures from rising drastically. Thursday saw a warm, sunny day with clear skies. While the minimum temperature rose slightly, the maximum temperature dropped. The minimum temperature was recorded at 12°C, two notches above normal, compared to 11.6°C the previous day. The maximum temperature was 24.8°C, a notch above normal, down from 26.5°C the previous day. According to IITM, the city will experience partly cloudy skies on Friday with strong surface winds, reaching speeds of 20-30 kmph. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that the minimum temperature will range from 9-11°C, while the maximum will be between 25-27°C.