Residents of the national capital woke up to a slight deterioration in air quality on the morning of Sunday, January 4, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining firmly in the 'poor' category. The early morning reading recorded an AQI of 298, marking a decline from the 267 observed on Saturday afternoon.
Forecast Predicts Sharp Decline to Near-Severe Levels
The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) issued a concerning forecast, indicating that Delhi's AQI is likely to plummet to around 390 later in the day. This level approaches the 'severe' category, posing significant health risks. The Air Quality Early Warning System further predicted that the air quality is expected to stay in the 'very poor' category from Sunday through January 6, with a similar pattern likely for the following six days.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) scale, an AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as 'poor', 301 to 400 as 'very poor', and 401 to 500 as 'severe'. The forecasted jump to 390 would place Delhi in the upper end of the 'very poor' bracket.
IMD Issues Yellow Alert for Dense Fog and Cold Wave
Compounding the pollution woes, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate to dense fog in parts of Delhi-NCR, leading to a yellow alert for most regions. The weather body also stated that cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi until January 7.
The IMD forecast "moderate fog at many places with dense fog at isolated places during morning hours." Temperatures in Delhi are expected to range between a maximum of 17°C to 19°C and a minimum of 6°C to 8°C. While the minimum temperature will be near normal, the maximum is predicted to be above normal by 0.3°C to 2.3°C.
A cold wave is officially declared when the minimum temperature drops 4.5 to 6.5 degrees below the seasonal average. The IMD data for Saturday showed varied minimum temperatures across Delhi stations:
- Safdarjung: 8.1°C (1.2 notches above average)
- Palam: 7.9°C (0.9 notches above average)
- Lodhi Road: 8.0°C (2 notches above normal)
- The Ridge: 9.0°C (1.3 notches above normal)
- Ayanagar: 6.9°C (0.1 notches below normal)
Cold Wave to Grip Rajasthan
The cold wave is also expected to affect Rajasthan, with conditions likely to persist between January 5 and 8 over the state, and specifically over east Rajasthan from January 4 to 8.
Despite the challenging weather and visibility conditions, Republic Day parade rehearsals continued at India Gate as scheduled. Security personnel and participants carried on with preparations for the upcoming national celebrations, even as a persistent layer of smog enveloped the area.
