Delhi’s air quality worsened on Friday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions, the air quality index (AQI) settled at 386 micrograms per cubic on the National Ambient Air Quality Index (NAAQI), which falls in the very poor category.

According to SAFAR ( System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the overall AQI indicated the higher end of  very poor’ category and likely to touch ‘severe’ by Friday night. “Local surface winds are likely to increase slightly for the next two days increasing dispersion of pollutants leading to slight improvement but AQI remains at ‘higher end of very poor’ category.”  “The share of stubble burning (Count 274) related pollutants is eight percent in Delhi’s PM2.5. Mixing layer height and wind are the dominant factors controlling air quality. From the 29th significant improvement in AQI is expected due to high wind speed.”

According to SAFAR, values of both the suspended particulate matter (SPMs), PM !0 and 2.5 recorded at 398 and 232 micrograms per cubic.

Neighbouring Faridabad (417), Ghaziabad (373), Greater Noida (378), Gurgaon (361) and Noida (383) also saw a dip in air quality on Friday morning. 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.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 28 degrees Celsius.