New Delhi: A thick layer of fog covered parts of Delhi and nearby areas, including Noida, on Saturday morning, marking a rare weather pattern for the end of March. The national capital has been experiencing an unusual spell of cooler temperatures, improved air quality, and intermittent rainfall.
The development comes just a day after Delhi recorded its coldest March day in six years, along with its cleanest air in the past five months.
Visuals shared by PTI showed dense fog across the city, even as large numbers of people gathered at Jama Masjid to offer namaz on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
At 8 am, the air quality index (AQI) stood at 94, placing it in the “satisfactory” category. This follows Friday’s AQI reading of 93, also within the same category. Notably, this was the first time in nearly five months that Delhi’s air quality fell into the satisfactory range, with the last such instance recorded on October 9, 2025, when the AQI was 99.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, air quality is expected to remain in the moderate category between Saturday and March 23.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a gradual rise in daytime temperatures, with the maximum expected to range between 27°C and 29°C on Saturday. However, the minimum temperature may dip further to between 13°C and 15°C, compared to 16°C recorded on Friday.
Delhi has also received an average rainfall of 16.2 mm so far this month, making it the wettest March since 2023, when the average rainfall stood at 50.4 mm.
Weather forecasts indicate the possibility of very light rain returning on Monday, along with chances of thunderstorms and lightning due to an active western disturbance.
