Overnight rain helps improve air quality in Chandigarh
As per the daily AQI bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board, Chandigarh’s AQI on Wednesday was 167
The city received a refreshing 4 mm of rain on the intervening night between Tuesday and Wednesday due to an active Western Disturbance, leading to a significant improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI).
After remaining in the poor bracket (201-300) on Tuesday, the AQI improved to the moderate range (101-200) on Wednesday, offering relief to residents.
The rain was followed by bright and sunny weather throughout Wednesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting clear skies in the coming days as well.
As per the daily AQI bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board, Chandigarh’s AQI on Wednesday was 167. This is calculated by taking the average AQI of all three observatories in the city at 4 pm.
At 167, AQI is considered moderate, but can still cause breathing discomfort to people with lung and heart diseases. On Tuesday, the city’s AQI was 226, which falls in the poor category and can cause breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure.
As per IMD officials, rain helps reduce concentration of pollutants, leading to cleaner air. Since AQI values are 24-hour averages, it is expected that these can be even lower on Thursday.
Sunny days ahead
After the overnight rain, clear skies are likely to continue, as per IMD. A fresh Western Disturbance (WD) will affect the region from February 8 onwards, but it is unlikely to be as strong as the system seen on Tuesday night. Thus, rain remains unlikely, but cloudy weather is expected over the weekend.
As per the long-range forecast issued by IMD for February, below normal rain and above average temperatures are expected this February, after a similar trend was observed in January.
Following the overnight rain, the maximum temperature fell slightly from 22.1°C on Tuesday to 21.9°C on Wednesday, still 0.6 degree above normal. On the other hand, the minimum temperature rose from 9.9°C on Tuesday to 10.8°C on Wednesday, 1.3 degree above normal.
Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 22°C and 23°C, and the minimum temperature between 8°C and 9°C.
