Overview
- A heavy late-October rain spell driven by the interaction of Cyclone Arnab and a western disturbance washed particulates from Delhi’s air, producing an official AQI of 60 and leaving October’s monthly average near 166–167.
- The respite was short lived as readings rose into the satisfactory and moderate ranges within 24–48 hours and some local monitors recorded spikes above 200.
- Safdarjung recorded about 61.4 mm of rain and an unusually low October maximum of 20.7°C, the lowest October daytime high in records dating back to 1951.
- The India Meteorological Department forecasts mainly clear skies with no significant rain through early November, and the city’s Decision Support System attributes large shares of pollution to transport (about 16.3%) and stubble burning (about 19.1%).
- Officials have deployed traffic and vehicle checks and residents should expect health advisories as winter weather and steady emissions make repeated pollution episodes likely in the coming days.