Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' despite GRAP IV curbs; IMD predicts light rain for Monday

Air quality in Delhi continued to worsen on Sunday — turning ‘severe’ across the city in spite of GRAP IV restrictions. Pollution levels are likely to dip slightly on Monday with the India Meteorological Department forecasting cloudy skies with light rain.

“Partly cloudy sky with possibility of very light rain to light rain…Smog or shallow fog in most of the places and moderate fog in isolated places is likely in the morning…Smog/shallow fog is likely in the evening/night,” the Met department predicted.

According to details shared in the latest IMD bulletin, surface wind is likely to be from southeast direction with speed less than 4 kmph during morning hours. The wind speed will increase during the day — becoming less than 6 kmph from northeast direction during afternoon. It will decrease thereafter becoming less than 4 kmph from east direction during evening and night.

Temperatures are expected to range from a high of 20 degrees Celsius to a low of 7 degrees Celsius.

The capital on Sunday experienced dangerously high levels of PM2.5, the primary pollutant, with 37 out of 39 monitoring stations reporting air quality in the 'severe plus' category. Some areas recorded AQI levels as high as 474 — well into the ‘severe plus’ category. 

The maximum temperature was recorded three notches above normal at 24.1 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature had settled a notch below normal at 7.3 degrees Celsius. The city experienced fog in the morning — with humidity levels ranging between 68% and 97% on Sunday.

The IMD has also forecast "mainly clear sky" from Tuesday with “smog or moderate fog in most of the places and dense fog in isolated places”. Visibility is expected to improve as the day progresses — with smog or shallow fog likely on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

(With inputs from agencies)