India: Air quality deteriorates amid increasingly warm, smoky conditions

By Faith Eherts, AccuWeather meteorologist

By Robert Richards, AccuWeather meteorologist

October 28, 2018, 12:14:38 PM EDT

Monsoon season has been swiftly replaced with dry, hazy weather across northern India, marking the beginning of the region's annual extended poor air quality event.

Each autumn, farmers in northern India burn their fields in preparation for planting winter crops. Despite government pleas and regulations requiring farmers to use field-clearing farm equipment, the high cost of the plows means many resort to burning regardless.

As high pressure sets up over the region, these vast amounts of smoke will slowly spread over northern India and linger through at least the first half of this week.

Smoke combines with construction dust and factory and vehicle emissions in urban areas to create a dangerous air quality event that typically lasts through the winter months.

In New Delhi, the Air Quality Index (AQI) has frequently surpassed 600 this week. According to The World Health Organization, anything above 300 is considered "hazardous." Other cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Kolkata will also be frequently engulfed in dangerously smoky conditions.

With warm, stagnant weather in the forecast for the foreseeable future, air quality is unlikely to improve. Another factor contributing to this will be the upcoming Hindu holiday of Diwali.

The Festival of Lights is typically celebrated with the help of fireworks throughout city streets, which contributes significant amounts of smoke to the atmosphere. This year, the two-day holiday begins on Nov. 7.

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Poor air quality conditions are a health hazard, leading to dangerous respiratory and cardiovascular health conditions and tens of thousands of premature deaths each year. Additionally, the resulting low visibility leads to travel disruptions in the form of slowed traffic and airline delays.

The same feature enhancing the smokiness in northern India will contribute to cleaner air and more pleasant conditions farther south.

An easterly breeze off the Bay of Bengal will sweep across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, washing cleaner air through Hyderabad and Bengaluru this week.