India, Dec. 1 -- Strong northwesterly winds brought small respite the Capital on Sunday, ending the 24-day streak of 'very poor' air - albeit just for the time being.

On Sunday, the city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 279 (poor), improving from the 305 (very poor) a day earlier.

Experts attributed clearer skies in parts of the city and better AQI to strong winds. "We had strong northwesterly winds blowing from the mountains towards the plains, which helped in dispersion of pollutants not just across Delhi but Punjab and Haryana too. AQI began to improve from Sunday night onwards," said Ashwary Tiwari, who runs the IndiaMetSky portal on X.

Data by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows that winds picked up from Saturda...