Delhi air quality turns ‘severe’ as mercury drops to 9.7°C

As winter settles over the national capital, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.7°C on Saturday — 3.8 degrees below normal — marking the first time this season that temperatures have dipped below the 10°C mark.

The maximum temperature stood at 26.6°C, also below the seasonal average by 1.9 degrees.

For Sunday, November 16, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a minimum temperature between 9–11°C and a maximum between 24–26°C. The sky is expected to remain “mainly clear with mist,” with “shallow fog” likely during morning hours.

Over the next five days, the IMD predicts Delhi’s minimum temperature will fluctuate between 8–12°C, while the maximum may range from 23–27°C.

Delhi’s air quality turns ‘severe’ in several areas

Despite the winter chill, Delhi continues to battle hazardous air. As of 8 am on Sunday, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 385, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Several locations, including Anand Vihar (412), Chandni Chowk (418), ITO (417), and Bawana (436), recorded ‘severe’ air quality.

On Saturday, Delhi’s AQI stood at 386, also in the ‘very poor’ bracket. The capital saw a similar trend on Friday, following three consecutive days of ‘severe’ air quality earlier in the week, with AQI levels of 428 on Tuesday, 418 on Wednesday, and 404 on Thursday.

According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0–50 is ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.