Delhi in thick haze as AQI hits 336; cold snap lingers
Delhi in thick haze as AQI hits 336; cold snap lingers
Delhi battles very poor air quality with AQI at 336 and chilly mornings around 9.6°C, with warnings the haze could persist into December.
A thick haze wrapped Delhi as air quality worsened. An Air Quality Index (AQI) of 336 was recorded at 8 am on Tuesday, higher than 304 at 4 pm on Monday and 279 on Sunday, marking a return to the very poor category after a brief improvement on Sunday.
Officials say the Air Quality Early Warning System expects the AQI to remain in the 'very poor' band at least until December 4. The city has witnessed a pattern of days above 300, including a run of three 'severe' air days from November 11 to 13.
The minimum temperature rose to 9.6°C, around normal for this time of year, after the season's lowest minimum a day earlier. Forecasters warn that the chill could persist, with temperatures expected to oscillate between 5°C and 9°C until December 5.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) cautions that the chill may spill into isolated pockets as the month progresses, with a potential cold wave in those pockets. It defines a cold wave as a minimum temperature below 10°C or at least 4.5°C below normal, but a declaration requires two stations meeting the criterion on two consecutive days. On Monday, two stations in the Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi subdivision reported departures below 4.4°C, but officials said the cold wave declaration could not be made until the second consecutive day of such readings.
In the meantime, residents are urged to limit outdoor activity during peak pollution hours, wear masks, and use air purifiers indoors.
Cover image source: Haze envelopes Delhi amid worsening air quality; min temp rises to 9.6°C 🔗
