Delhi’s 3-day ‘severe’ AQI streak ends, air quality improves to ‘very poor’

Delhi's three-day tally of 'severe' aerial contamination ended connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026) morning, with the city's mean Air Quality Index (AQI) showing a marginal betterment and settling successful the 'very poor' class astatine 395.

Despite the improvement, contamination levels remained worrying crossed monitoring stations.

Out of the full stations reporting, 23 were inactive successful the 'severe' category, 14 successful 'very poor', and 1 successful 'poor', according to information from the CPCB Sameer app.

Wazirpur recorded the worst aerial prime with an AQI of 445, followed intimately by Anand Vihar astatine 444 and Jahangirpuri astatine 443.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification, an AQI betwixt 0 and 50 is considered 'good'; 51 to 100 is 'satisfactory'; 101 to 200 is 'moderate'; 201 to 300 is ‘poor’; 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’; and 401 to 500 is ‘severe’.

The metropolis had experienced 3 consecutive days of 'severe' aerial pollution. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the AQI exceeded the 400 mark, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to instrumentality Stage 4 restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Air Quality Warning System has forecast that Delhi's aerial prime is apt to stay successful the 'very poor' class connected Tuesday and proceed astatine akin levels implicit the adjacent 2 days.

Weather conditions provided small relief, with the minimum somesthesia successful Delhi recorded astatine 7.2 degrees Celsius.

Station-specific information indicated minimum temperatures of 8.8 degrees Celsius astatine Palam, 9.0 degrees Celsius astatine Ridge, 8.0 degrees Celsius astatine Ayanagar, and 7.6 degrees Celsius astatine Lodhi Road, portion Safdarjung noted the city's lowest minimum astatine 7.2 degrees Celsius.

The maximum somesthesia is expected to scope 24 degrees Celsius, accompanied by mean fog.