Overview
- The minimum temperature fell to 15.8°C on October 26, the lowest October reading in two years, according to the India Meteorological Department.
- Citywide air quality measured an AQI of 324 in the morning, placing Delhi in the 'very poor' band, with pockets such as Anand Vihar at 'severe' levels near 429.
- By evening, the 24-hour AQI eased to 292 in the 'poor' category, though dozens of monitoring stations still registered 'very poor' readings.
- The Air Quality Early Warning System projects fluctuations between 'poor' and 'very poor' over the coming week, with IMD indicating chances of light rain or drizzle early in the week.
- Transport sources contributed about 17.8% of the pollution on recent days per the Decision Support System, while satellite detections reported stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh; Delhi has completed a Burari cloud-seeding trial with a first artificial-rain attempt possible on October 29 if clouds permit within DGCA-approved operations.