Delhi to witness dust storms till tomorrow; air quality at 271

For May 18, the weather office has said that the national capital could see strong surface winds during the day while for May 19, it has said that there is a possibility of very light rain or thundershowers along with gusty winds. 

Earlier on 16 May, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the situation is likely to improve in one to two days with rain also expected on May 18.

As per IMD’s latest updates, thunderstorm, dust storm with light to moderate intensity rain is expected in the national capital and adjoining areas today i.e. on 17 May. Thunderstorm, dust storm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 Km/h would occur over Delhi and many adjoining areas, it said.

Areas including North Delhi, North-East Delhi, North-West Delhi, West Delhi, Central-Delhi, East Delhi and NCR are likely to see rains today, as per IMD. Moreover, the weather office has predicted dust storm or thunderstorm during the day while the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 40 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was recorded at 47 per cent.

The air quality index in the national capital too has dropped with the overall AQI as of 10.30 am stands at 271, as per SAFAR. The air quality in Delhi’s Dhirpur area touched ‘very poor’ category with an AQI of 323 while Lodhi Road recorded an AQI of 225 in ‘poor’ category. Areas like IIT Delhi, Mathura road recorded an AQI of 313 and 249 respectively. Gurugram reported an AQI of 280 while Noida recorded an AQI of 266, both in ‘poor’ category.

An AQI between zero 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”.

Yesterday, the national capital saw strong winds leading to raising dust and affecting air quality as well as reducing visibility to 1,000 metres. On Tuesday, the PM10 pollution in Delhi soared to hazardous levels as strong winds swept the city, raising dust and leaving a thick blanket of haze over it.

IMD said that dust-laden winds with speeds up to 50 kmph breezed through the capital between 3 am and 6 am yesterday, lowering visibility to a mere 700 metres at 10 am at the Palam Observatory, close to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as compared to 4,000 metres at 9 am on Monday. By 3 pm on Tuesday, the overall air quality index had worsened to 260, from 162 at 4 pm on Monday.

Meteorologists have attributed the dusty conditions to a combination of intense heat in northwest India over the past five days, parched soil due to the absence of rainfall and strong winds that have persisted since midnight.

Experts said dust particles, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), can penetrate deep into the respiratory system when inhaled. They can irritate the lungs, trigger respiratory problems, and exacerbate existing conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.

“People suffering from respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at a greater risk due to dust pollution. It may worsen their condition and trigger attacks,” said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the medicine department of the Safdarjung Hospital told PTI.

Dusty conditions also aggravate rhinitis, allergy and irritation of the eyes, he said. Kishore said such people should try and remain indoors till the air quality improves and cover their nose and mouth with a wet cloth.

He said the government can consider banning construction and demolition activities until then.

(With inputs from PTI)