Delhi in ‘Red Zone’ as AQI Hits 335; Temperature Dips to 11°C

New Delhi, November 8, 2025: The national capital woke up to toxic air and a nippy morning on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 335 at 9 a.m., placing the city firmly in the ‘red zone’, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This made Delhi the most polluted city in the country for the day.

PM2.5 remained the dominant pollutant, continuing the post-Deepavali trend of deteriorating air quality. Since the festival, Delhi’s air has hovered between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories, with intermittent spikes into the ‘severe’ range.

Adding to the city’s woes, temperatures dipped further on Saturday. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11°C, about three notches below the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature settled at 28.6°C, 0.9°C below normal, as per data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In recent years, the capital has seen colder starts to winter: 9.5°C on October 29, 2024, 9.2°C on October 23, 2023, and 7.3°C on October 29, 2022 — indicating a slightly delayed onset of winter this year.

The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies for the rest of the day, with a possibility of further temperature dips in the coming week.