Dense fog blankets New Delhi; air high quality index at 376

Dense fog shrouded the nationwide capital on Saturday (January 17, 2026) morning, drastically lowering visibility, whereas the minimal temperature was recorded at 4.4 levels Celsius, 3.2 notches under the season’s common.

The India Meteorological Division stated the utmost temperature is predicted to the touch 22 levels Celsius.

Relative humidity was recorded at 100% at 9 a.m.

The air high quality was recorded within the “very poor” class at 9 a.m. on Saturday (January 17), with an Air High quality Index (AQI) studying of 376, Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB) information confirmed.

In response to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is taken into account ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘passable’, 101 to 200 ‘average’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘extreme’

As chilly wave situations continued to prevail within the nationwide capital, dense fog enveloped giant elements of Delhi on Saturday (January 17, 2026) morning, resulting in lowered visibility and delays in a number of flights at Indira Gandhi Worldwide (IGI) Airport.

Passengers are suggested to test flight standing with their respective airways earlier than heading to the airport, as foggy situations are more likely to impression operations intermittently.

Regardless of the marginal rise in temperature, visibility remained low through the early hours, affecting street, rail and air visitors motion throughout town.

Earlier, on Tuesday (January 14), in view of deteriorating air high quality in Delhi, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Motion Plan (GRAP) of the Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas convened a gathering.

In the course of the assembly, the Sub-Committee reviewed the prevailing air high quality state of affairs within the area, together with forecasts for climate and meteorological situations and the Air High quality Index. In response to an official launch, the Sub-Committee noticed that the AQI in Delhi has proven an growing pattern, and forecasts by IMD and IITM point out that air high quality is more likely to deteriorate additional and will enter the ‘extreme’ class within the coming days because of unfavourable meteorological situations and sluggish, variable wind speeds.

That is along with the actions underneath Levels I & II of the extant GRAP already in drive in NCR. Varied companies answerable for implementing measures underneath GRAP, together with the Air pollution Management Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC, have additionally been directed to make sure strict implementation of actions underneath Stage-III of the extant GRAP, along with actions underneath Levels I & II of GRAP, throughout this era. A nine-point motion plan as per Stage-III of the extant GRAP is relevant with instant impact, in the whole NCR. The nine-point motion plan contains steps to be carried out/ ensured by totally different companies, together with the Air pollution Management Boards of NCR and DPCC.