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Delhi logs season's coldest October night at 17.1°C; air quality forecast to turn 'poor'
Safdarjung recorded 17.1°C on Oct. 20, the lowest October minimum so far; IMD forecasts rain-free Dussehra; the Air Quality Early Warning System expects Delhi's AQI to fall into the poor category on Oct. 21–22.
Why it matters
Delhi recorded its chilliest October night of the season on Oct. 20, with a minimum of 17.1°C at the Safdarjung weather station — 1.3°C below the seasonal average and the lowest October minimum logged this year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). As mornings turn cooler, the city's air-pollution season is entering its most worrying stretch.
Full report
The IMD forecasts clear, rain-free weather for Dussehra in Delhi, with a high of around 32°C and a low of around 18°C; clear skies are expected to last until Oct. 23 before turning partly cloudy.
On air quality, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data put the 24-hour average AQI at 139 (moderate) at 4 p.m. on Monday; of 58 monitoring stations, two recorded poor air quality, with Pusa highest at 281. The Air Quality Early Warning System expects air quality to remain moderate on Tuesday before deteriorating to the poor category (AQI 201–300) on Oct. 21 and 22, with continued poor air possible for the following six days.
Satellite data from the CREAMS laboratory of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute showed 27 stubble-burning incidents in Uttar Pradesh on Oct. 19, the highest of any state, followed by Punjab (25) and Rajasthan (24); cumulatively from Sept. 15 to Oct. 19, Madhya Pradesh led with 370 incidents, closely followed by Punjab with 368. With the burning season only beginning and wind speeds low, pollutants are easily trapped over the city — and residents are likely to feel the effects well before Diwali arrives.
Sources: NationPress, Hi India (Oct. 20, 2026), citing IMD, CPCB and the Air Quality Early Warning System.
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