Delhi AQI Today: According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s air quality improved to the ‘poor’ category on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recording 222 around 7:00 am. Air quality data has improved since New Year’s Day as “strong winds and favorable weather conditions” brought relief from dangerous pollution levels.
Many monitoring stations in the capital recorded ‘poor’ AQI, with only Jahangirpuri recording ‘very poor’ air quality at 302. Of Delhi’s 37 monitoring stations, 11 recorded ‘moderate’ air quality on January 3. The best AQI reading on Saturday morning was 126 at Mandir Marg.
What to expect?
Following a significant improvement in air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday lifted GRAP Stage-3 restrictions in the Delhi-NCR region. However, all pollution control measures under GRAP Stages I and II will remain in place.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has suggested that AQI readings will remain in the “poor” or “very poor” range in the coming days. Due to strong winds and favorable weather conditions, Delhi’s AQI has improved significantly and was recorded at 236 on 02.01.2026. Furthermore, according to the IMD/IITM forecast, the AQI will remain in the poor to very poor category in the coming days,” the CAQM press release stated.
Decision Support System (DSS) data showed that the main cause of pollution in Delhi was vehicular emissions, which accounted for 11.11 percent of pollution. This was followed by 8.4 percent from outside industries, 2.8 percent from residential areas, 1.4 percent from construction, and one percent from garbage burning.
Delhi’s Weather Today
The weather agency has issued a yellow alert, predicting dense fog conditions on January 3 and 4. Despite the fog warning, visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) was 1800 meters at 5:30 am, and there were no disruptions to flight operations today.
The IMD has forecast cold wave conditions in the capital and predicted that similar weather conditions will persist for the next three days due to the influence of a western disturbance. According to the IMD, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature drops 4.5 to 6.5 degrees Celsius below the normal average temperature.
In its latest weather bulletin, the IMD said, “The sky will remain mainly clear. There will be light fog at many places and dense fog at a few places in the morning. The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are likely to be between 17°C to 19°C and 6°C to 8°C, respectively. The minimum temperature will be close to normal, and the maximum temperature will be above normal (0.3°C to 2.3°C).”
(With agency inputs)