Delhi wakes up to dense fog, AQI slips to 'very poor' at 319 as IMD issues yellow alert
Several monitoring stations recorded pollution levels well above 300. Anand Vihar logged an AQI of 381, while Mundka came in at 386
- Feb 4, 2026,
- Updated Feb 4, 2026 9:39 AM IST
Delhi residents woke up to a dense blanket of fog on Wednesday morning, with visibility plunging across several parts of the city and air quality sliding deeper into the danger zone. According to the AQI monitor Safar, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9:11 am stood at 319, placing the capital in the ‘very poor’ category.
Several monitoring stations recorded pollution levels well above 300. Anand Vihar logged an AQI of 381, while Mundka came in at 386. Other hotspots included RK Puram (354), Dwarka (349), ITO (344), Bawana (335) and Alipur (315).
As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 is ‘severe’.
The foggy start also came as cold conditions tightened their grip over Delhi-NCR once again. Cold winds sweeping across the plains and fresh snowfall in hill states have pushed temperatures down, while thick fog has continued to dominate early morning hours, leaving commuters struggling with low visibility on key roads.
IMD issues a yellow alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest bulletin, has forecast cloudy to partly cloudy conditions over Delhi, with sunshine expected to stay limited through the day.
The weather department has also flagged that moderate to dense fog is likely to persist in many parts of the city, with isolated pockets expected to witness dense fog conditions.
Owing to the fog and haze, the IMD has issued a Yellow Alert for Delhi, cautioning that reduced visibility may slow traffic during the morning hours, particularly on major roads and highways.
On the temperature front, Delhi is expected to see a maximum of around 21 to 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may settle close to 9 degrees Celsius. Over the past few days, minimum temperatures have hovered between 8 and 10 degrees, remaining below normal and adding to the morning chill.
The recent spike in winter conditions has largely been attributed to a Western Disturbance, which triggered unusually low temperatures in the region. February 2 was recorded as the coldest day of the month so far, with the maximum temperature dipping to 17.5 degrees Celsius, nearly five degrees below the seasonal average.
Delhi residents woke up to a dense blanket of fog on Wednesday morning, with visibility plunging across several parts of the city and air quality sliding deeper into the danger zone. According to the AQI monitor Safar, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9:11 am stood at 319, placing the capital in the ‘very poor’ category.
Several monitoring stations recorded pollution levels well above 300. Anand Vihar logged an AQI of 381, while Mundka came in at 386. Other hotspots included RK Puram (354), Dwarka (349), ITO (344), Bawana (335) and Alipur (315).
As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 is ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 is ‘poor’, 301 to 400 is ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 is ‘severe’.
The foggy start also came as cold conditions tightened their grip over Delhi-NCR once again. Cold winds sweeping across the plains and fresh snowfall in hill states have pushed temperatures down, while thick fog has continued to dominate early morning hours, leaving commuters struggling with low visibility on key roads.
IMD issues a yellow alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest bulletin, has forecast cloudy to partly cloudy conditions over Delhi, with sunshine expected to stay limited through the day.
The weather department has also flagged that moderate to dense fog is likely to persist in many parts of the city, with isolated pockets expected to witness dense fog conditions.
Owing to the fog and haze, the IMD has issued a Yellow Alert for Delhi, cautioning that reduced visibility may slow traffic during the morning hours, particularly on major roads and highways.
On the temperature front, Delhi is expected to see a maximum of around 21 to 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may settle close to 9 degrees Celsius. Over the past few days, minimum temperatures have hovered between 8 and 10 degrees, remaining below normal and adding to the morning chill.
The recent spike in winter conditions has largely been attributed to a Western Disturbance, which triggered unusually low temperatures in the region. February 2 was recorded as the coldest day of the month so far, with the maximum temperature dipping to 17.5 degrees Celsius, nearly five degrees below the seasonal average.