Delhi Records Cleanest Air in Nearly Three Years After Heavy Rain
Delhi recorded its cleanest air quality in nearly three years on Thursday after heavy, continuous rainfall and strong winds lashed the region, including localities such as Safdarjung, Mehrauli, and Mayur Vihar. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 48, placing it in the "good" category for the first time since September 2023.
The clean air followed a spell of heavy rain that began late Wednesday night and continued until mid-afternoon on Thursday. Weather experts attributed the dramatic improvement in air quality to the consistent precipitation and high wind speeds, which effectively dispersed particulate matter across the region.
The last time the city recorded a "good" air day was on September 10, 2023, when similar overnight rain and strong winds brought the AQI down to 45. Prior to Thursday's improvement, the city had recorded an average AQI of 59 on Wednesday.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Safdarjung, which serves as the city's base weather station, recorded 72.6mm of rainfall between 8:30 am on Wednesday and 8:30 am on Thursday. Other stations recorded even higher figures during the same 24-hour period. The Khajuri station recorded the highest rainfall at 160mm, followed by Mayur Vihar at 102.5mm, Delhi University at 90mm, Mehrauli at 86mm, Pusa at 83mm, Lodi Road at 80.2mm, and Ridge at 77.8mm.
The rain continued into Thursday daytime. Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Thursday, Mayur Vihar recorded an additional 43mm of rain, while Lodi Road saw 33.2mm, Safdarjung received 32.4mm, and Ridge recorded 25.6mm.
Despite the heavy downpour across the metropolitan area, operations at the airport remained stable. An official from Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) confirmed that no flight diversions were reported due to the weather conditions.
The CPCB classifies AQI values between zero and 50 as "good," while 51 to 100 is "satisfactory," 101 to 200 is "moderate," 201 to 300 is "poor," 301 to 400 is "very poor," and 401 to 500 is "severe."
