Light rains over next 3-4 days to keep Delhi's humidity, pollution levels in check

Delhi may witness scattered rains over the next three-four days which will help reduce humidity and keep air quality within "satisfactory" levels, the weather office said on Monday.

An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said scattered light rains are expected in the national capital over the next three to four days which will help check humidity and pollution levels.

Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private forecaster, said Delhi's air quality is unlikely to witness a sharp deterioration due to on and off light rain and favourable wind direction.

"Until mid-October, there's no chance of smog from Punjab and Haryana to travel to the Delhi-NCR region as winds are blowing in the opposite direction," he said.

On Monday morning, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the city's air quality index at 55, which falls in the "satisfactory" category.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said satellite data indicates some sporadic biomass burning signatures in north India, but Delhi's air quality is very unlikely to be influenced in the next two days.

The SAFAR said it is not expecting any "drastic" deterioration in air quality until the second week of October.

This is mainly because strong, moist easterly winds are opposing any transport of polluted biomass plume from the north of the NCR region.

"Even a change in the wind direction towards Delhi won't drastically impact Delhi's AQI for at least 10 days," it said.

However, the condition is likely to change from October 7, as models indicate development of a weak anticyclone over the region as part of monsoon withdrawal, the SAFAR said.