01 February,2026 10:43 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/PTI
Air pollution levels in the national capital continued to remain a serious concern on Sunday, with Delhi recording a 'very poor' Air Quality Index (AQI) of 318 around 8 am, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
At the same time, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Delhi, warning of unstable weather conditions. The forecast includes the possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds blowing at speeds of 30-40 kmph in isolated areas of the city. Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail across neighbouring regions, including Haryana and Chandigarh. In Haryana's Karnal district, a hailstorm was reported earlier in the day.
According to the IMD, the rainfall marks the onset of an active weather phase, with thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds and hail expected to impact several parts of north and central India over the course of the day. Light rain was recorded in multiple parts of Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) during the early morning hours.
The weather department said the maximum temperature in the capital is expected to hover between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to remain in the range of 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. Thunderstorm activity, along with strong winds, may continue through the afternoon and night.
Residents across Delhi woke up to damp conditions and light to moderate fog. However, despite the rain and improved atmospheric mixing, air quality remained in the âvery poor' category, offering little immediate relief from pollution.
Air quality levels across other major Indian cities showed wide variation. Ahmedabad reported an AQI of 171, while Pune recorded 161 and Lucknow 156 - placing all three in the âmoderate' category. Patna (121) and Jaipur (118) also logged moderate air quality. In contrast, Mumbai recorded an AQI of 104, while Bengaluru (96), Chennai (92) and Hyderabad (95) remained in the 'satisfactory' range, CPCB data showed.
On Saturday morning, Delhi's air quality had been slightly better but still unhealthy, with the AQI recorded at 271, categorised as 'poor'. Several monitoring stations across the city had reported readings ranging from poor to very poor, including Ashok Vihar (309), Dwarka Sector 8 (329), Mundka and Wazirpur (331 each), and RK Puram (322). Relatively lower readings were observed in Narela (232) and Alipur (227).
Meanwhile, fog continued to affect visibility at several airports across north and central India. IMD data showed very dense fog, with visibility dropping below 50 metres, at locations including Ambala in Haryana; Agra, Bareilly, Saifai and Hindon in Uttar Pradesh; and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Dense fog conditions were also reported in Varanasi, Lucknow and Prayagraj, while moderate to shallow fog affected airports in Assam, West Bengal, Punjab and Bihar.
As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 301 and 400 is classified as 'very poor', indicating potential health risks, especially for vulnerable groups.
