Dense fog shrouded the national capital on Saturday (January 17, 2026) morning, drastically reducing visibility, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 4.4 degrees Celsius, 3.2 notches below the season’s average.
The India Meteorological Department said the maximum temperature is expected to touch 22 degrees Celsius.
Relative humidity was recorded at 100% at 9 a.m.
The air quality was recorded in the “very poor” category at 9 a.m. on Saturday (January 17), with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 376, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 to 500 ‘severe’
As cold wave conditions continued to prevail in the national capital, dense fog enveloped large parts of Delhi on Saturday (January 17, 2026) morning, leading to reduced visibility and delays in several flights at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
Passengers are advised to check flight status with their respective airlines before heading to the airport, as foggy conditions are likely to impact operations intermittently.
Despite the marginal rise in temperature, visibility remained low during the early hours, affecting road, rail and air traffic movement across the city.
Earlier, on Tuesday (January 14), in view of deteriorating air quality in Delhi, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas convened a meeting.
During the meeting, the Sub-Committee reviewed the prevailing air quality scenario in the region, along with forecasts for weather and meteorological conditions and the Air Quality Index. According to an official release, the Sub-Committee observed that the AQI in Delhi has shown an increasing trend, and forecasts by IMD and IITM indicate that air quality is likely to deteriorate further and may enter the ‘severe’ category in the coming days due to unfavourable meteorological conditions and slow, variable wind speeds.
This is in addition to the actions under Stages I & II of the extant GRAP already in force in NCR. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP, including the Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC, have also been directed to ensure strict implementation of actions under Stage-III of the extant GRAP, in addition to actions under Stages I & II of GRAP, during this period. A nine-point action plan as per Stage-III of the extant GRAP is applicable with immediate effect, in the entire NCR. The nine-point action plan includes steps to be implemented/ ensured by different agencies, including the Pollution Control Boards of NCR and DPCC.
