Air quality improves to 'poor' category

New Delhi: After staying in the 'severe' category for six days, Delhi's air quality improved to the 'poor' category on Monday following rains a day before, while the maximum temperature settled at 22.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average.

The 24-hour air quality index (AQI) of Delhi read 283 at 4 pm. The AQIs of its neighbouring cities — Faridabad (260), Ghaziabad (212), Gurugram (250), Greater Noida (242) and Noida (226) — were also recorded in the 'poor' category.

The government's air quality forecast agency SAFAR said that the AQI improved on Monday "due to last night rain that scavenged particulate matter through wet deposition". On Tuesday, winds are likely to be low, reducing ventilation of pollutants, with the AQI expected to be 'very poor', the SAFAR said.