A thick layer of smog shrouds the city road as the Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the poor category, near ISBT in New Delhi, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Photo: PTI
Delhi's air quality 'severe' for 2nd day in a row; minimum temperature dips to 10.4 degrees
AQI at 414 as GRAP Stage III curbs on construction and BS-III/IV vehicles remain enforced; minimum temperature was recorded at 3.1 degrees below normal
Air pollution in the national capital was recorded in the "severe" category on Wednesday (November 12) morning for the second day in a row.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) reading at 9 am stood at 414, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
AQI plunges to severe
The city witnessed the worst air quality this season on Tuesday, with the AQI plunging into the "severe" category at 423.
The Central government invoked stricter anti-pollution measures under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the wake of the deteriorating air quality.
Also read: Centre invokes stage III GRAP as Delhi-NCR’s AQI hits ‘severe’
According to the CPCB classification, 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".
Temperatures dip
Since Diwali, the national capital's air quality has consistently remained in the "poor" or "very poor" category, occasionally slipping into the "severe" zone.
Meanwhile, temperatures in the city continued to dip since last week.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 10.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 3.1 notches below the season's normal.
The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 27 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather office has also forecasted shallow fog in the day.
(With agency inputs)