On October 26, 2025, Delhi awoke to a chilling combination of dropping temperatures and significantly worsened air quality. The mercury dipped to 15.8 degrees Celsius, marking the coldest October morning in the last two years. Unfortunately, this cold snap coincided with a sharp decline in the city’s air quality, pushing it into the ‘very poor’ category.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi registered a concerning 324, a notable increase from the 292 recorded just a day prior. For the past two days, the city’s air had been classified as ‘poor,’ but this latest reading indicates a further deterioration in the atmospheric conditions.
Certain areas within Delhi experienced even more alarming levels of pollution. Anand Vihar, for instance, reported a ‘severe’ AQI of 429, closely followed by Wazirpur with an AQI of 400. Data compiled from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app revealed that a staggering 28 monitoring stations across the capital recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, with readings exceeding 300.
To put these numbers into perspective, the CPCB classifies AQI levels as follows: 0-50 is ‘good,’ 51-100 is ‘satisfactory,’ 101-200 is ‘moderate,’ 201-300 is ‘poor,’ 301-400 is ‘very poor,’ and 401-500 is considered ‘severe.’
This alarming pollution crisis isn’t isolated to Delhi; it reflects a broader national challenge. Recent reports highlight that India’s air pollution issue is now a ‘full-blown assault’ on people’s health and cognitive functions.
Beyond the air quality, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the minimum temperature settled at 15.8°C, which is 1.4°C below the seasonal average. In October 2023, the lowest minimum temperature recorded was a slightly higher 15.9°C. Additionally, the city experienced a humidity level of 66% at 8:30 a.m. The IMD anticipates a mainly clear sky for the day, with a possibility of becoming partly cloudy as evening or night approaches, and the maximum temperature is expected to reach approximately 30°C.