Delhi: Showers predicted on Thursday could improve the poor air quality

New Delhi, The overall Delhi air got better on Thursday morning with an AQI of 290 helping it to remain in the "poor" category. Rain predicted during the day is expected to further better the condition in the national capital.

For Thursday, the PM 10 count is comfortable and in the moderate category at 194, while the PM 2.5 is in the poor category as well at 117. The AQI though has deteriorated from Wednesday's when it was at 249 count.

According to a forecast by Safar India, Delhi AQI is in the poor category, and is likely to further improve, in case of rainfall which will wash out the pollutants.

The surface and boundary layer winds are from the south, its interaction with upper air westerly trough is likely to produce fairly widespread rainfall throughout northwest India.

The effective biomass fire counts observed on Wednesday were 3,534, the wind direction is not favourable for any stubble fire plume intrusion.

A change in wind direction back to northwesterly is expected only by Saturday with plume intrusion again.

"Improvement in AQI to the moderate category is expected by today's evening unless the rainfall is too low and high moisture and cloudy condition induce stagnation and slow secondary aerosol formation, but it is less likely," the forecast said.

However, the next two days may not be as good. "A marginal deterioration to the poor category is expecting by tomorrow and further deterioration to the very poor category is expected by Saturday," the forecast said.