The Indian national capital Delhi, struggling with a poor air quality index, has recorded its cleanest December air since AQI meters were introduced in 2015, with a reading of 294. The improvement is attributed to strong winds seen in the first half of the month and record-breaking rainfall in the second, according to officials.

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These patterns in the weather have brought along a reduction in hazardous pollution levels.

CPCB reports: AQI shows improvement

  • The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that the national capital experienced clean air between Dec 1 and Dec 15, with just one “very poor” day. The AQI stood at 173 on Monday (Dec 30), which falls under 'moderate' category, an improvement from Sunday’s 225 'poor' AQI.

  • December has seen eight moderate air quality days, a sharp increase in comparison to the previous years, where Delhi recorded not more than three such days in this month. The lowest AQI was recorded on December 28 at 139, making it the cleanest December day on record.

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The lowest AQI of the month was recorded on December 28 at 139, a sharp drop from the usual December average of over 300.

Also Read:  India: AQI in Delhi slips down to 'severe' after temporary 'very poor'

Fifth wettest December since 1901

Delhi also saw the fifth wettest December since 1901, having recieved 53.5 mm of rainfall. The city recorded 41.2 mm of rainfall on Dec 28 in a single day, making it the highest single-day December rainfall in 101 years. The average minimum temperature in December was 8.4 °C, while average maximum temperature was 23.1 °C. This made it the coldest December in 14 years.

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Also Read: Delhi's air quality improves slightly, but still in ‘poor’ category

December’s highest and lowest AQI

While December 28 recorded the lowest AQI of 139, December 19 saw the highest AQI of 451, categorised as "severe." 

Also Read: Cold weather hits Delhi with 4.5° chill and 'very poor' AQI amid coldwave

The CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows:

  • 0-50: Good

  • 51-100: Satisfactory

  • 101-200: Moderate

  • 201-300: Poor

  • 301-400: Very Poor

  • Above 400: Severe

(With inputs from agencies)