Delhi's AQI falls to 48 after heavy rain (Img: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: Continuous rainfall over the past two days has given Delhi its cleanest air in nearly three years, with the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping to 48, placing it in the 'good' category.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 48 at 4 pm on Thursday. The last time the capital witnessed 'good' air quality was on September 10, 2023, when the AQI stood at 45. The improvement follows Wednesday's AQI reading of 59, which was already the city's lowest since September 2025.
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The significant improvement in air quality has been attributed to continuous rainfall and strong winds, which helped wash away and disperse harmful particulate matter from the atmosphere.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Safdarjung, Delhi's base weather station, recorded 72.6 mm of rainfall between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.
Among other stations, Khajuri received the highest rainfall at 160 mm, followed by Mayur Vihar (102.5 mm), Delhi University (90 mm), Mehrauli (86 mm), Pusa (83 mm), Lodhi Road (80.2 mm) and Ridge (77.8 mm).
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, forecasting heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning on Friday. Noida and Gurugram remain under a yellow alert.
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Heavy rainfall over the past two days led to widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion and disruptions across several parts of Delhi-NCR.
In view of the weather conditions, the Ghaziabad district administration has declared a holiday for all schools from Nursery to Class 12 on Friday.
However, no holiday has been announced in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram or Faridabad so far, and educational institutions in these areas are expected to function as usual unless fresh orders are issued.
