 "Delhi air quality stays 'severe' in most parts amid red alert for dense fog")
Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of smog on Tuesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the 'severe' category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
The average AQI in the national capital was 388 at 8 am. Anand Vihar station recorded the highest AQI in the city at 451, while 17 of Delhi’s 39 monitoring stations reported ‘severe’ levels. Twenty stations recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, with most readings hovering close to 400. Only NSIT Dwarka recorded a relatively lower AQI of 265, classified as ‘poor’. Data from Lodhi Road and Sri Aurobindo Marg were unavailable at the time of writing the report.
Areas with the highest AQI today:
- Ashok Vihar – 433
- Wazirpur – 449
- Punjabi Bagh – 426
- Rohini – 446
- Chandni Chowk – 432
- Sonia Vihar – 421
- ITO - 402
CPCB classifies AQI 0–50 as ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.
Visibility falls due to dense fog
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility across Delhi at 6:30 am was around 350 metres. The IMD issued a fog advisory warning of dense to very dense fog over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of the Northeast, east and north India.
The Regional Meteorological Department’s nowcast showed an orange alert in south, central, and northeast Delhi, while west, northwest and north Delhi received a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog in the morning. Temperatures were recorded at 10 degrees Celsius early today.
Flights issue advisory for disruptions
Low visibility prompted airlines such as IndiGo and Air India to issue travel advisories for Delhi and northern India, warning of possible flight delays. Delhi airport had also cautioned passengers a day earlier.
Delhi weather today
The IMD forecast a partly cloudy sky, with moderate fog at many places and dense to very dense fog at a few locations during the morning. Temperatures are expected to range between a maximum of around 23 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 8 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels remaining high. The Met department warned that dense fog is likely during the early hours until January 1, though wind speeds may improve later in the day.