Delhi wakes up to dense fog, rare sighting for March end; temp drops sharply

The India Meteorological Department said the maximum temperature is expected to rise and remain between 27°C and 29°C in the capital on Saturday.

Updated on: Mar 21, 2026, 08:50:29 IST

Edited by Aryan Mudgal

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A dense layer of fog enveloped parts of Delhi and neighbouring regions, including Noida, on Saturday morning as the national capital continues to witness an unusual March marked by low temperatures, better air quality index (AQI) and heavy rainfall.

Visuals showed dense fog across the city. (PTI)

This comes a day after the city saw its coldest March day in six years and its cleanest air in five months.

Delhi fog

Visuals shared by news agency PTI showed dense fog across the city as large crowds gathered at Jama Masjid to offer namaz on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

ALSO READ | An AQI of 93, maximum temperature at 21.7°C: A big day of records for Delhi

The air quality index stood at 94, in the “satisfactory” category, at 8 am. Air quality showed a sharp improvement on Friday, when the AQI was recorded at 93.

Friday was the first day in about five months to fall in the satisfactory category. The last time Delhi recorded satisfactory air quality was on October 9, 2025, when the AQI was 99.

Air quality is expected to remain in the moderate category from Saturday to March 23, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System.

IMD forecast for Delhi

The India Meteorological Department said the maximum temperature is expected to rise and remain between 27°C and 29°C in the capital on Saturday, while the minimum temperature is likely to drop to between 13°C and 15°C. The minimum temperature on Friday was recorded at 16°C.

The city has recorded average rainfall of 16.2 mm this month, making it the wettest March since 2023, when the average was 50.4 mm.

Forecasts suggest very light rain may return to Delhi on Monday, along with chances of thunderstorms and lightning due to an active western disturbance.

With inputs from agencies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryan Mudgal
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More

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