Delhi-NCR residents on Wednesday woke up to a thick layer of smog as the air quality index (AQI) remained in the ‘severe’ category for the third consecutive day with an overall reading of 442.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature in certain areas of Delhi was above 5 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Pusa was recorded at 5.4 degrees Celsius, while in Lodhi Road, the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels fluctuated between 100 and 66 per cent during the day.

Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 442 (very poor) at 7 am on Wednesday. According to CPCB data, the Air Quality in 32 stations of Delhi were in the ‘Severe’ category, with Anand Vihar, Burari and Lajpat Nagar having an AQI above 480. In Jahangirpuri, the AQI was at 464, while in Vivek Vihar, the AQI was at 455, and in Rohini, the AQI was at 458. In Punjabi Bagh, the AQI was at 450.

Early morning visuals from the city showed a significant reduction in visibility. At the Delhi airport, low-visibility procedures were implemented after the visibility came down to 300 meters.

This is the third consecutive day when the air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘Severe’ category. On December 16, the authorities imposed GRAP-IV restrictions in a bid to curb worsening pollution levels.

The CPCB classifies AQI between 0 and 50 as “good”, between 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, between 101 and 200 as “moderate”, between 201 and 300 as “poor”, between 301 and 400 as “very poor”, and above 400 as “severe”.

The primary pollutant on Wednesday was PM2.5, with levels recorded over189.5 µg/m³ at 5 am. These fine particles pose significant health risks as they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

In the coming days, Delhi may witness a further increase in the cold wave with shallow fog in various parts due to calm winds and high humidity, as the IMD.

Meanwhile, the cold weather conditions persisted in many parts of north and east India on Wednesday, with minimum temperature in parts of Kashmir dropping several notches below freezing point.

Earlier on Tuesday, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.3 degrees Celsius, down from minus 3.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, with water supply lines in many parts of the city and elsewhere in the Valley getting frozen due to the cold.