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yesterday

Delhi Sees Short-Lived Clean Air After October Rain

Heavy October rain washed pollutants from the capital and produced the cleanest October day in four years, with dry forecasts now making a rapid return of pollution likely.

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Friday’s maximum was 10.3 degrees below normal. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times)
The air quality remained in the satisfactory category, although the increase indicated a deterioration from the previous day's unusually clean conditions.

Overview

  • Heavy, uncommon October rainfall produced a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) 4pm bulletin reading of AQI 60 on Friday, the lowest October daily value in four years.
  • Air quality improvement was brief, with CPCB morning readings rising to about AQI 95 and then to 117 by Saturday, while independent real-time trackers reported a sharper spike near 222 within 24 hours.
  • Delhi’s Safdarjung station recorded 61.4 mm in 24 hours and a monthly total of 123.3 mm, and Friday’s maximum temperature of 20.7°C was the lowest October maximum in records dating to 1951.
  • Decision Support System data show multiple persistent emission sources drive Delhi pollution, including stubble burning (about 19.1%) and transport (about 16.3%), so weather alone does not eliminate emissions.
  • The India Meteorological Department forecasts mainly clear skies with no significant rain through at least November 6, increasing the likelihood that pollutant levels will rebound and prompting air-quality warnings for the coming days.