Delhi AQI today: Air quality improves to 'poor' category, no station records 'severe' levels; check IMD weather forecast and other details

The air quality in Delhi improved on Wednesday as AQI in the city was below 300, in the poor category, after it remained in the very poor and severe category in recent days. The air quality is expected to improve further in the next few days due to an increase in wind speed. Of the 59 monitoring stations that recorded data on Wednesday, air quality was in the ‘very poor’ category at 29, ‘poor’ at the remanining stations. No monitoring station recorded ‘severe’ air quality. Chhawla topped the list with an AQI of 396, followed by Chandni Chowk at 379 and IIT Delhi at 375. DTU and North Campus, Delhi University, also recorded high AQI levels of 375 and 374, respectively.

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According to 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'.

Delhi AQI today: Check stations with worst AQI

Delhi air pollution: CPCB clarifies

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Tuesday said that the difference in AQI values shown by private apps and its own platform is due to differences in the measurement of pollutant concentration and methodology, and not under-reporting.

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The statement, posted on X, came as a response to some media reports that raised concerns about the reporting of Air Quality Index (AQI) by the CPCB during and after Diwali. The concerns included capping of AQI at 500, data gaps at some monitoring stations in Delhi and differences with AQI values shown by other platforms.

"It is generally perceived that private apps show higher AQI. This may hold during short peaks, when hourly values rise sharply. However, when concentrations fall, such apps show lower AQI than the NAQI (National Air Quality Index), since NAQI continues to reflect the exposure of the preceding 24 hours," said the CPCB.

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NAQI, which was introduced in 2015, is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour.

Delhi weather forecast:

Delhi is expected to witness fog or mist during the early morning hours over the next six days, from November 11 to 16, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature is likely to remain between 28°C and 29°C, while the minimum temperature may range from 14°C to 16°C.

On November 11 and 12, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle at 28°C and 15°C–16°C, respectively. The maximum temperature is likely to rise to 29°C on November 13, 14 and 15, with minimum temperatures hovering between 15°C and 16°C.

On November 16, the maximum temperature is expected to settle at 28°C, while the minimum may dip to 14°C, indicating slightly cooler nights.

The IMD has issued no weather warnings for Delhi during this period.