Delhi records ‘severe’ AQI for 3rd day; min temp rises to 7.7°C

Delhi AQI today: The Early Warning System for Delhi forecast showed the AQI was likely to touch the “very poor” category and dip below 400 in the latter half.

Updated on: Jan 19, 2026, 10:44:46 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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Delhi recorded “severe” air quality for a third consecutive day, as moderate fog enveloped the city, and the minimum temperature rose further to 7.7°C, around normal for this time of year, from 5.3°C the previous day.

The mercury was expected to go up to 24-26°C on Monday. On Sunday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 22.7°C, three degrees above normal. The maximum temperature is forecast to remain above 20°C, with no cold day conditions expected in the region, until Saturday.

The Early Warning System for Delhi forecast showed the AQI was likely to touch the “very poor” category and dip below 400 in the latter half of the day. The AQI was expected to be in the “very poor” category until at least Wednesday.

A 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 418 (severe) was recorded at 8am on Monday, compared to 440 at 4 pm on Sunday, the joint worst for January in the second half of the month. On January 17, 2019, the city recorded an AQI of 440.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that out of the 39 active ambient air quality stations in the city, 25 were in the “severe” category at 8am. Wazirpur recorded an AQI of 473 and Vivek Vihar 472. On Sunday, Anand Vihar peaked at 497, only three points short of maxing out at 500.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas imposed Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) curbs on Saturday, as the AQI inched past the 400 mark for the first time this year.

An active western disturbance was expected to bring rain to the Delhi-National Capital Region on Wednesday and Thursday. “Some pockets [of the region] may even record moderate showers,” said private forecaster Skymet Weather vice president Mahesh Palawat.

He added there would be a dip in the minimum temperatures after this western disturbance is over. “Another western disturbance is then expected around January 26, so a significant dip in temperature is expected only towards the end of the month. Even then, it will only possibly dip around 4-5°C in Delhi. The worst of the winter is over,” he said. Delhi last week recorded a minimum temperature of 3°C, the lowest in three years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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