Delhi’s AQI rose to 387 on Friday morning, marking a fifth straight day of very poor air quality. Rohini recorded the highest reading at 473 as the weekend forecast pointed to a possible slide into the severe category.

Delhi AQI Hits 387 Before Diwali

Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index climbed to 387 at 7 am on Friday, up from 369 at the same time on Thursday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The capital remained in the very poor category for a fifth consecutive day as smog hung over the city ahead of Diwali.

The citywide AQI stood at 324 on Monday, rose to 350 on Tuesday and reached 377 on Wednesday. Under the CPCB scale, readings from 301 to 400 fall in the very poor category, while readings from 401 to 500 are classified as severe.

Delhi AQI Reaches 473 In Rohini

Nearly half of Delhi’s active monitoring stations recorded severe air quality, with 28 of 59 stations crossing the threshold. Rohini had the highest reading at 473, followed by Punjabi Bagh at 464 and RK Puram at 441. Alipur and Sonia Vihar both recorded 435, while Okhla Phase 2 reached 426 and ITO stood at 420.

Several other locations remained in the very poor category. Pusa recorded 393, Chandni Chowk 386, Anand Vihar 350 and Lodhi Road 306. The readings show how sharply pollution levels varied across the capital even as the citywide average stayed below the severe threshold.

Delhi AQI Could Worsen Through Sunday

The Air Quality Early Warning System forecast that Delhi’s air quality could slip into the severe category from Friday through Sunday. Average wind speeds were expected to stay below 10 kmph, limiting how quickly pollutants could disperse. Firecracker emissions and seasonal stubble burning could add to the pollution under those conditions.

Skymet’s Mahesh Palawat said light easterly winds could set in on the night of November 8 and help disperse some pollutants. Any improvement could be brief, with winds expected to weaken on November 9, allowing pollution to build up again.