Delhi records year's cleanest air with AQI at 56, enters 'satisfactory' category

In the first week of July, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached its lowest point of the year, recording a reading of 56, which falls under the "satisfactory" category according to monitoring agencies. Throughout June, the AQI remained below 100 for seven consecutive days, further improving with favorable weather conditions in July.

The Central Pollution Control Board reported that Delhi's AQI consistently stayed in the "satisfactory" range from July 1 to 7, with Sunday marking the lowest reading observed this year. The AQI scale categorizes readings from zero to 50 as "good," 51 to 100 as "satisfactory," 101 to 200 as "moderate," 201 to 300 as "poor," 301 to 400 as "very poor," and 401 to 500 as "severe."

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi experienced a maximum temperature of 35.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, slightly below the seasonal average, accompanied by a minimum of 26.2 degrees Celsius, two degrees below the usual low.

IMD forecasts predict generally cloudy skies with chances of light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, or lightning in the evening hours until July 13. Relative humidity is expected to range between 57 percent and 93 percent during the day.

The weather department also anticipates generally cloudy skies with light rain continuing until July 10. Meanwhile, due to forecasts of heavy to very heavy rain in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region on July 7 and 8, the Chardham yatra was suspended on Sunday. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey emphasized that the decision prioritized the safety of pilgrims amidst the anticipated adverse weather conditions.