New Delhi, 30 Dec (UNI): Off to a smoggy end, Delhi is likely to welcome the new year 2026, soaked in light rain, according to the meteorological experts.
On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast very light to light rains for Delhi for January 1, according to the press statement from the weather department.
Despite forecasts of rain, the city is unlikely to escape hazardous air. Projections by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi on Tuesday indicate that the Capital’s air quality is likely to remain in the “severe” category from Wednesday through Thursday, leaving residents to breathe murkier air at both the end of 2025 and the start of 2026.
Experts attributed the declining air quality on Wednesday and Thursday to the fresh feeble western disturbance that hit the Himalayan region on Tuesday, growing stronger as the day progressed.
The impact of these disturbances is expected to melt down over the northern plains on Wednesday, calming the surface winds, preventing the dispersion of pollutants, and amplifying the breathing difficulties of the residents.
Foggy conditions over the capital in the next few days would further deteriorate the air quality.
IMD forecasts moderate fog at several places and dense fog at a few places in Delhi during the morning hours of Wednesday.
On Tuesday, wind speeds gusting up to 15 kmph helped disperse pollutants, leading to a marginal improvement in Delhi’s air quality. The AQI dropped to 388 from 405 the previous day, shifting the category from “severe” to “very poor,” according to air quality data.
Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 51 and 100 is considered “satisfactory”, 101–200 “moderate”, 201–300 “poor”, 301–400 “very poor”, and any reading above 400 falls in the “severe” category.
