Delhi air remains 'very poor' as rain fails to bring respite; AQI at 363

Fog and cold grip the capital as overall AQI stays in the very poor range at 363 early on Saturday, with multiple hotspots recording dangerous pollution levels despite recent rain

Delhi woke up to a foggy morning on Saturday amid severely reduced visibility as recent showers failed to clean up the air. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 8 am was in the very poor category at 363, with levels climbing above 300 across the capital.

#WATCH | Delhi | As cold waves grip the national capital, few flights are delayed at IGI Airport due to fog.  (Visuals from Indira Gandhi International Airport) pic.twitter.com/GAXcKcL389

— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2026

At key monitoring points, conditions were worse. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 425, one of the highest in the capital, second only to Nehru Nagar at 428. Six stations reported AQI figures in the severe category (above 400), while the remaining 36 sites sat in the very poor band between 300 and 400, most of them close to the 400 mark.

 

 

AQI hotspots across the city

• Chandni Chowk: 408
• Dwarka Sector-8: 401
• Siri Fort: 403
• Vivek Vihar: 414
• Patparganj: 397
• Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium: 394
• RK Puram: 392

 

As per CPCB classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’ and 401–500 ‘severe’.

Travel disruptions due to dense fog

Large parts of the city woke up to dense fog mixed with smog, causing low visibility, especially near the Delhi airport runway.

 

Fog across Delhi and several northern cities has forced airports to operate under CAT III conditions, heightening the risk of flight delays and cancellations. Airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have advised passengers of possible schedule disruptions due to changing visibility.

No relief despite rainfall

Despite rainfall in parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) on January 9, air quality showed no significant improvement. Meteorologists say this is mainly due to the cold, stable atmospheric conditions and lighter winds, which trap pollutants near the surface and hinder their dispersion. Combined with morning fog, this has sustained high concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 across the city.

Weather forecast for Delhi

For today, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of cold wave conditions and dense fog in morning and late-night hours throughout Delhi-NCR. The minimum temperature dipped to around 4.6 degrees Celsius, nearly 2.3 degrees below the average, intensifying the chill. With limited sunshine expected, daytime temperatures are forecast to remain subdued.

 

The IMD has issued a yellow alert, cautioning residents about reduced visibility, potential travel disruptions and cold stress. Expect foggy starts and slow dispersion of pollutants through the weekend.