Delhi continues to battle with 'severe' air quality amid drizzle and fog

AQI hits 401 despite light rainfall; cold wave grips north India with plummeting temperatures and snowfall disruptions

Delhi woke up to “severe” air quality levels on Tuesday, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 401 at 8 a.m., according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This follows light rainfall on Monday, which did little to alleviate the alarming pollution levels.

 

According to the CPCB, AQI values are classified as good (0-50), satisfactory (51-100), moderate (101-200), poor (201-300), very poor (301-400), severe (401-450), and severe plus if above 450.

 

Data from the Sameer app, which monitors real-time air quality at 36 stations, showed AQI levels across Delhi remaining below the 450 mark, with some stations reporting readings under 400. The highest AQI reading at 8 a.m. was 455 at the Bawana station, while IHBAS Dilshad Garden recorded the lowest at 222, placing it in the “poor” category.

Delhi weather today

On Monday, light drizzle was reported in Delhi and neighbouring cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature on Tuesday stood at 8.6 degrees Celsius, below the season’s average. The maximum temperature was 18.4 degrees Celsius, or 2.3 degrees below the normal for this time of year. The morning witnessed thick fog, with humidity ranging between 79 per cent and 95 per cent.

 

The IMD predicted partly cloudy skies with light rain for Tuesday, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be 19 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Weather in North India

Beyond Delhi, other regions in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh also experienced a sharp drop in day temperatures following light rain on Monday. Cold wave conditions continued in Kashmir, where temperatures plummeted below freezing.

 

In Himachal Pradesh, light snowfall in areas surrounding Shimla disrupted 30 roads. Falling maximum temperatures affected Haryana and Punjab, while rain impacted most parts of these two states.

 

“The authorities have advised tourists to follow traffic guidelines due to icy conditions on high-altitude roads in the Kashmir Valley,” stated a communication issued by officials in Srinagar.