'Severe' air quality in Delhi, minimum temperature 5 deg C

New Delhi, The national capital’s air quality on December 19 was in the severe category while the minimum temperature was 5 degrees Celsius, around three notches below normal.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 450 at 9 am. Of the 38 monitoring stations in the city, 32 reported levels in the severe category.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Severe air category poses significant health risks to both healthy individuals and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius while a yellow alert has been issued, predicting very dense fog on December 20.