Misty morning in Delhi, air quality deteriorates to 'very poor' category

The national capital on Saturday witnessed a misty morning with deteriorated air quality which was recorded in the 'very poor' category, after being 'poor' since Thursday.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 12.7 degrees Celsius, the season's average, with the weather office predicting a clear day ahead.

"The sky will be partly cloudy with mist in the morning," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

The weather office said the maximum temperature was likely to hover around 26 degrees Celsius and the humidity at 8.30 am was 78 per cent.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall air quality for Delhi on Saturday was recorded in the 'very poor' category after the city enjoyed an improvement in the quality as it reached 'poor' on Thursday.

SAFAR advised people to take precautions as there was an "increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals".

"Children and elderly at risk. Everyone may begin to experience some level of discomfort," it said.

Friday's maximum temperature settled at 26.3 degrees Celsius a notch below the season's average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 14.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average,