Delhi records most polluted July in seven years despite first good AQI day

Delhi closed July with its worst average air quality in seven years despite logging a rare good AQI day. The month also brought surplus monsoon rain and the warmest average July temperatures in two years.Even as the monthly average AQI worsened, Delhi recorded its first “good” air quality day in July in nine years, with the AQI dropping to 48. (Photo: PTI)Delhi ended July with sharp contrasts in weather and air quality, recording its most polluted July in seven years even as it saw the month’s first “good” air quality day in nine years. The city also received above-normal monsoon rainfall despite a prolonged dry spell and logged its warmest average day and night temperatures in two years.During the first 30 days of July, Delhi’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 119, making it the highest monthly average for July since 2019, when it was 134, according to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The figure was much higher than last July’s monthly average of 78.Rainfall at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, stood at 254.7 mm against the normal of 201.9 mm, while the average maximum temperature for the month was 35.4 degrees Celsius and the average minimum was 27.7 degrees Celsius.Even as the monthly average AQI worsened, Delhi recorded its first “good” air quality day in July in nine years, with the AQI dropping to 48. It was the lowest daily minimum AQI recorded in July since 2017, when the index had fallen to 43. At the other end, the AQI rose to 261 during the month, making it the highest daily maximum AQI recorded in July in five years, since 2021 when it was 266. Delhi recorded 15 “moderate”, 12 “satisfactory”, two “poor” and one “good” air quality day during the month, with no “very poor” day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”. On Thursday, the city’s AQI stood at 117, remaining in the “moderate” category.Rainfall during the month remained above normal at most weather stations despite a prolonged break in monsoon activity. At Safdarjung, 254.7 mm of rainfall was recorded in July against the normal of 201.9 mm, an excess of 52.8 mm or 26 per cent. Since the onset of the southwest monsoon, Safdarjung has recorded 296.5 mm of rainfall against the seasonal normal of 276 mm, a surplus of 20.5 mm or 7 per cent. The Ridge observatory recorded the highest rainfall surplus among the major stations in July, receiving 285.5 mm against the normal of 188.5 mm, an excess of 97 mm or 51 per cent. Since the onset of the monsoon, it has recorded 338.1 mm against the seasonal normal of 249.2 mm, a surplus of 88.9 mm or 36 per cent. Lodhi Road received 274.4 mm during July against the normal of 201.9 mm, an excess of 72.5 mm or 36 per cent, and 315.1 mm since June 1 against the seasonal normal of 276 mm, a surplus of 39.1 mm or 14 per cent.Ayanagar recorded 210.1 mm of rainfall during July against the normal of 178.5 mm, an excess of 31.6 mm or 18 per cent. Since the beginning of the southwest monsoon, the station has received 303.1 mm against the seasonal normal of 248.4 mm, a surplus of 54.7 mm or 22 per cent. In contrast, Palam remained below normal, recording 179.1 mm during July against the normal of 198.2 mm, a deficit of 19.1 mm or 10 per cent. Since the onset of the southwest monsoon, it has received 229.4 mm against the seasonal normal of 267 mm, leaving it 37.6 mm below normal or 14 per cent in deficit.Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather said the above-normal rainfall despite fewer rainy days was due to an unusually long break in the monsoon. “The monsoon witnessed a typical break this season, but instead of lasting five to six days as it usually does, it extended to around 10 to 11 days. As a result, the number of rainy days was lower, though the overall rainfall remained high because a few spells were particularly intense. The first few days of July saw very good monsoon activity, and the last week of the month remained active. In between, there was a prolonged break caused by multiple weather systems, which later triggered episodes of intense rainfall,” he said.The city also recorded its warmest July in terms of average day and night temperatures in two years. The average maximum temperature stood at 35.4 degrees Celsius and the average minimum at 27.7 degrees Celsius. The last time both averages were higher was in 2024, when the average maximum was 35.9 degrees Celsius and the average minimum was 27.8 degrees Celsius.On Thursday, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung settled at 35.8 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches above normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 35 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch above normal. Lodhi Road registered a maximum of 35.3 degrees Celsius, 2.3 notches above normal. The Ridge recorded a maximum of 34.8 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notch above normal, while Ayanagar logged a maximum of 35.2 degrees Celsius, 0.8 notch above normal.Safdarjung recorded 3.3 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Thursday, while Palam received 3 mm during the same period. Lodhi Road recorded a trace of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am and received another 1.1 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. The Ridge recorded 7.6 mm during the same period, the highest among the major observatories, while Ayanagar did not receive any rainfall.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 30, 2026 21:38 IST