Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Fog and Cold Snap Drive Delhi-NCR Air Back to 'Very Poor' as Flights Delayed

Weak winds with temperature inversions are set to trap pollution over the city through midweek.

Overview

  • Official data showed Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI climbed to 307 on Sunday, with hotspots such as Anand Vihar, Chandni Chowk and Ashok Vihar exceeding 300.
  • Citywide air improved marginally on Monday, with morning readings near 256–266 and a later 24-hour average of 244, though multiple stations still registered very poor levels.
  • Dense morning fog reduced visibility and disrupted operations at IGI Airport, with reports of multiple delays and cancellations across airlines.
  • The Air Quality Early Warning System indicated a brief moderation to moderate on Tuesday before a return to poor to very poor, as the IMD maintained cold-wave and fog alerts for North India.
  • Stage-3 GRAP curbs remain revoked while Stages 1–2 continue, and IITM’s DSS identified transport (~13–14%) and industry (~11%) as leading PM2.5 sources with notable external contributions from Jhajjar and Sonipat.