Gurugram logs October’s worst air quality despite drizzle

Meanwhile, the city experienced a sharp drop in daytime temperatures amid cloudy skies and light rainfall

Published on: Oct 30, 2026, 07:45:40 IST

By Sampurna Panigrahi, Gurugram

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Gurugram recorded its worst air quality this October on Thursday, with the air quality index (AQI) rising to 242, in the ‘poor’ category, despite light rainfall and a cool breeze across the city.

Commuters make their way through a drizzle and thick smog in Gurugram on Thursday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to data available on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app, the city’s AQI deteriorated from 203 (poor) on Wednesday and 174 (moderate) on Tuesday.

Among the monitoring stations, Sector 51 recorded the highest AQI of 275 on Thursday, followed by Gwal Pahari at 237 and TERI Gram at 214, all in the ‘poor’ category.

According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is classified as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’ and 401-500 as ‘severe’.

Meanwhile, the city experienced a sharp drop in daytime temperatures amid cloudy skies and light rainfall.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) daily weather observations, Gurugram recorded a maximum temperature of 25.5°C on Thursday, a decline of 4.4°C from Wednesday. The minimum temperature stood at 15.1°C.

Across Haryana, the average maximum temperature dropped by 6.9°C compared with Wednesday and remained 5.8°C below normal. Sirsa recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at 31.5°C.

Gurugram received 0.5mm of rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Thursday, according to the IMD bulletin.

Several other parts of Haryana received more substantial rainfall during the day. Bawal in Rewari district recorded 23mm, the highest among the listed weather stations, followed by Ujha in Panipat district at 22mm.

The IMD has forecast scattered showers across Haryana on Friday, indicating that unsettled weather conditions could continue in parts of the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sampurna Panigrahi
Sampurna Panigrahi is a Correspondent at the Gurugram Bureau of Hindustan Times, where she covers crime, health, civic issues, traffic, and pollution. With over three years of experience in the field, Sampurna's journalism is driven by passion. She joined the Gurugram team in March 2026 and has since reported extensively on the city's sanitation challenges, crumbling infrastructure, public health systems and rapid urban transformation. Sampurna has a knack for numbers; she loves chasing data-driven stories and uncovering trends. Her reporting is rooted in rigorous groundwork, supported by data and official records. She enjoys digging through datasets, identifying trends and translating complex civic and policy issues into stories that are accessible and meaningful for readers. She likes to travel to different parts of the city and is a team player. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sampurna worked at ThePrint for over two years, where she reported on economy, finance, industry, and governance policies. The experience continues to shape her analytical approach to reporting. For Sampurna, journalism is about listening before writing. Every face, every voice has a story waiting to be heard, and she believes patience and empathy are often a reporter's most valuable tools. When not working, Sampurna loves reading books, practising classical dance, painting, and spending time with her plants.Read More

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