With lesser cars and other sources of local pollution, air quality imporves to "good" amid lockdown
The sun shone bright in a cloudless blue sky in the national capital which recorded a significant drop in temperature today due to intermittent rains over the last two days.
Delhi and its neighbouring cities also recorded the lowest concentrations of PM10, particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter, since August 18 last year.
At 10 am today, PM10 levels in Delhi-NCR stood at 32.5 microgram per cubic meter, the lowest since 15.9 mg/m3 recorded on August 18 last year.
Delhi's overall air quality index at 11 am stood at 40, which falls in the "good" category.
Environment and weather experts attributed the improvement in the air quality to the 21-day lockdown enforced to contain the spread of the coronavirus and rains and gusty winds due to successive western disturbances.
They said the air quality is expected to oscillate in the good or satisfactory categories due to the reduction in local sources of pollution - vehicular pollution, construction dust, stack emissions, etc - due to the lockdown.
Delhi recorded a minimum of 15.7 degrees Celsius, four notches less than that recorded on Friday.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the national capital, recorded 5.3 mm rainfall till 8:30 am on Saturday.
The weather station at Palam recorded 3.2 mm rainfall.
The national capital has recorded 109.6 mm rainfall so far, the highest ever in March.