Delhi breathes toxic air; AQI to remain 'very poor' till Wednesday

New Delhi: The national capital’s air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The CPCB’s Sameer app showed that 19 monitoring stations in Delhi reported 'severe' air quality, while the remaining 19 stations recorded 'very poor' readings above 300.

Delhi’s air quality is expected to stay in the 'very poor' category from Monday to Wednesday, as per the Air Quality Early Warning System.

For context, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51–100 'satisfactory', 101–200 'moderate', 201–300 'poor', 301–400 'very poor', and 401–500 'severe', the CPCB said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 26.7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 10.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, slightly below the seasonal average. Humidity at 5.30 pm was 68 per cent.

The weather department has forecast moderate fog on Monday, with expected maximum and minimum temperatures of 25 and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively.