Hazy skies, rising pollution grip Delhi as early winter chill sets in

Residents of Delhi woke up to a hazy morning on Friday, with temperatures recorded at a mild 22.8°C as of 8:30 AM, according to  Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

The current conditions reflect a typical October morning in the city, with no noticeable wind movement and humidity levels reaching 74%.

The city’s air quality has plunged into the ‘severe’ category, with foggy mornings signaling the early arrival of winter. The Capital is undergoing swift weather changes, marked by falling nighttime temperatures and a noticeable chill in the air.

As winter approaches, pollution levels are climbing sharply, compounding health concerns and discomfort for residents across the NCR.

Despite the low temperature, the haze has contributed to a feeling of reduced visibility across parts of the city, though no weather warnings have been issued so far. The calm conditions—marked by wind speeds of 0 km/h—may allow the haze to linger through the early part of the day.

On Thursday, the national capital recorded its lowest minimum temperature of 18.1 degrees Celsius, coinciding with a deterioration in air quality. Six monitoring stations in the city reported air quality levels classified as ‘very poor’ as the chill of winter begins to set in.

Earlier this week, the city recorded its first temperature drop below 20 degrees Celsius for the 2025–26 winter season.

In comparison, in 2024, the mercury dipped below 20 degrees Celsius on October 12, settling at 18.6 degrees Celsius, while in 2023, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 18.3 degrees Celsius as early as October 3, according to weather data.

On Thursday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 32.9 degrees Celsius, which is 0.3 degrees below the seasonal average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated.

The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies for Friday, with minimum and maximum temperatures likely to hover around 19 and 31 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category for the third consecutive day on Thursday. The 24-hour average AQI (Air Quality Index) for Delhi was recorded at 245, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category, according to official data.

Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital, five reported air quality in the ‘very poor’ category. Among them, Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 359, followed by Wazirpur (350), Dwarka Sector 8 (313), DU North Campus and CRRI Mathura Road (both at 307), and Jahangirpuri (301), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

A similar air quality forecast has been issued for the coming days by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.

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

Transport emissions remained the largest contributor to Delhi’s air pollution on Thursday, accounting for 18.7 per cent of total emissions, based on data from the Decision Support System (DSS).

Additionally, satellite data indicated that stubble burning incidents were detected across several states: 12 in Punjab, 3 in Haryana, and 132 in Uttar Pradesh.