Winter arrives as National Capital records coldest November day in three years amid ‘very poor’ AQI, temperature drops to…
A dense layer of smoke covered many areas and showed little or no improvement, with the AQI at 385 on Sunday morning. Read here to get the full prediction.
Delhi experienced an unusually cold morning on Sunday; The minimum temperature was 9°C, about 4.5 degrees below the typical temperature for this time of year. This marks the coldest November day for the city since 2022, when the temperature dropped to 7.3°C. In comparison, the lowest temperatures recorded in November 2023 and 2024 were 9.2°C and 9.5°C, respectively.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted shallow fog for Monday morning. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 25°C, while the minimum temperature is expected to remain around 9°C. Despite the cold, Delhi encountered heavy smoke on Sunday.
Delhi-NCR AQI
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital woke up to thick smog on Monday morning as the average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 359 at 7 am, despite the Gradual Response Action Plan (GRAP)-III in force across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
A thick layer of smoke covered several areas on Sunday morning, showing little or no improvement from the AQI of 385.
Bawana recorded the highest AQI level of 427 at 7 am, falling into the ‘severe’ category. In comparison, NSIT Dwarka recorded the lowest AQI at 225, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
Visuals from India Gate and Kartavya Road are shrouded in a layer of toxic smog as the AQI in the area is 341 in the ‘very poor’ category, as claimed by CPCB.
Chandani Chowk recorded AQI of 383, RK Puram 366, ITO 394, Punjabi Bagh 384, Patparganj 369, Pusa 365 and Dwaraka Sector-8 356.
There is a layer of toxic smog in the air of Anand Vihar, with the Central Pollution Control Board claiming that the Air Quality Index in the area is 383, which is classified as ‘very poor’.
Along with deteriorating air quality, thick smog and mercury continued to hover around 9 degrees Celsius, with temperatures recorded even lower in some areas.
AQI levels
According to the CPCB classification, an AQI of 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 is ‘moderate’, 201-300 is ‘poor’, 301-400 is ‘very poor’ and 401-500 is ‘severe’.
GRAP-3 restrictions imposed in Delhi-NCR
In the wake of deteriorating air quality in the national capital, Phased Response Action Plan (GRAP) III was implemented across Delhi by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) on November 11. The measures aim to control emissions through tighter restrictions on construction, vehicle movement and industrial activities.
Restrictions under GRAP-III include ban on most non-essential construction activities, restrictions on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, suspension of classes for students up to Class 5 with shift to hybrid or online learning, restrictions on industrial activities based on unclean fuel and ban on non-emergency diesel generator sets.
