Delhi breathes easier after 157 days as AQI improves to 119

Delhi breathes easier after 157 days as AQI improves to 119

New Delhi, Delhi breathed easier on Monday after 157 days, as the city's air quality improved to 119 in the 'moderate' category, while the city recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius.

New Delhi, India - March 16, 2026: Blooming flowers are seen at Central Park, Connaught Place, under a clear blue sky,in New Delhi, India, on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The 24-hour average Air Quality Index stood at 119, the lowest recorded since October 9, 2025, when the AQI had stood at 99 in the same category.

At 9 am on Monday, the AQI stood at 97 in the 'satisfactory' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board . The improvement came after the city experienced light rain on Sunday.

According to the CPCB classification, an AQI between zero 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'.

The improvement in air quality came after many parts of Delhi and the surrounding region on Sunday received light rain, triggered by a western disturbance. The drizzle brought respite from the rising heat and helped disperse pollutants in the atmosphere.

On the weather front, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius, which was 3.3 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

Station-wise data showed that the Ridge recorded the highest maximum temperature at 31.5 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees above normal, followed by Lodi Road at 31.3 degrees Celsius, which was 2.3 degrees above normal.

Ayanagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius, 1.4 degrees above normal, while Palam recorded 30.7 degrees Celsius, which was 1.3 degrees above normal.

On the minimum temperature front, Safdarjung recorded 17.4 degrees Celsius, which was 2.3 degrees above normal.

Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal, while Lodi Road recorded 16.8 degrees Celsius, which was 2.8 degrees above normal.

The Ridge recorded a minimum temperature of 15.6 degrees Celsius, which was 0.3 degrees below normal, while Ayanagar recorded 16.4 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees above normal.

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