With the festive season, the cold has finally settled into the city’s atmosphere. The cold has brought a significant chill at night. The mercury has dropped to 17 degrees at night, but in the afternoon, it has doubled to 34 degrees.
The weather will remain the same in the coming days, but a matter of concern for the coming days is that the pollution in the city’s air has begun to wash away. The city’s Air Quality Index, which was at a very good level of below 100 until a week ago, has now risen to a moderate level of 135. The PM 2.5 level at the Sector 22 Observatory reached 213 around 8 am on Saturday.
This is why night and morning pollution in the city will increase.
Heavy airborne pollutants will become heavier due to the cooler night weather and will sink towards the ground. Last year, the city’s pollution levels were recorded among the top three in the country for the first time. This pollution is caused by pollution from industrial areas like Baddi entering the city during the afternoon with winds blowing from the west. Then, as the weather cools down in the evening, the pollution particles become heavier and begin to sink. This is why pollution in the city remains at its worst from dusk until 1 pm. After the sun rises, the pollution particles decrease as the humidity in the air evaporates.
