Delhi's AQI settles at 348 in ‘very poor’ category, likely to worsen

People stand on the banks of river Yamuna on a smoggy morning as air pollution spikes in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: Reuters The national capital woke up to yet another day of ‘very poor’ air quality on Saturday morning (November 14, 2026), with forecasts pointing to further deterioration in the next few days.The air quality index (AQI) at 9 a.m. stood at 348 (very poor), as compared to the 24-hour average AQI of 373 at 4 p.m. on Friday (November 14, 2026), according to data from the Central Board of Pollution Control (CPCB).As per the CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.Out of the 59 air quality monitoring stations in the city, seven recorded AQI in the ‘severe’ category on Saturday morning (November 14, 2026).According to forecasts by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the AQI is expected to deteriorate further in the next few days.Several weather stations saw a slight increase in the minimum temperature.Safdarjung, representative of the city's weather, recorded a minimum of 16.4 degrees Celsius, 2.9 degrees above the normal and 0.2 degree more than Friday (November 13, 2026). Published - November 14, 2026 10:33 am IST