Delhi enveloped in toxic haze, AQI in severe zone in some areas

New Delhi: Delhiites continued to breathe toxic air on Tuesday as the air quality edged closer to the severe zone in some areas.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384 at 9 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The 24-hour average AQI, recorded until 4 pm daily was reported at 381 on Monday, the second highest in the country.

Data from the CPCB's Sameer app, which provides hourly AQI updates, showed that out of the 38 monitoring stations, 13 were in the severe category with readings above 400.

These stations are Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Dwarka, NSIT Dwarka, Nehru Nagar, Moti Marg, Sonia Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Rohini, Punjabi Bagh, Mundka and Jahangirpuri.

Severe air quality readings between 400 and 500 affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to AQI classifications, 0-50 range is 'good,' 51-100 is 'satisfactory,' 101-200 is 'moderate,' 201-300 is 'poor,' 301-400 is 'very poor,' and 401-500 is 'severe.' The minimum temperature dropped to 17.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

At 8:30 am, humidity levels stood at 94 per cent, according to the India Meteorological Department.

The weather office has forecast mainly clear skies during the day, with the maximum temperature expected to reach around 33 degrees Celsius.