Delhi woke up to biting cold and choking air on Monday, as the minimum temperature dipped to 9.3°C — two degrees below the seasonal average — even as the city continued to grapple with hazardous air quality.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 396, placing it firmly in the ‘very poor’ category.

Humidity levels were recorded at a high 97% at 8:30 am, adding to the discomfort. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 25°C, with the India Meteorological Department predicting moderate fog throughout the day.

As per the AQI scale, a reading between 0–50 is ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’.