Delhi sees dense fog, air quality improves slightly to 'moderate'

Delhi woke up to dense fog and slightly improved air quality on Monday morning, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling in the 'moderate' category.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility dropped to 100 metres at both Palam and Safdarjung in the early hours.

The average AQI settled at 188. The air quality was 'moderate' at 21 stations while it was 'poor' at 16 stations. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Sameer app, AQI data for three stations was not immediately available. Lodhi Road recorded an AQI of 116, the lowest amongst all the stations.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. Delhi's air quality is likely to settle in the 'poor' category for the next two days.

The outlook for the subsequent six days also states that the air quality is likely to be in the 'poor' band, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).

The IMD said Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 10.4 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal, while Palam saw a marginally higher minimum of 10.7 degrees Celsius. Other parts of the city, including Lodhi Road and Ridge, reported minimum temperatures between 11 and 11.4 degrees Celsius.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to range between 17 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively.