New Delhi recorded a significant improvement in air quality on Saturday, recording an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 85—the lowest in three years for the period between January 1 and March 15. According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), this was the first time in 2025 that Delhi’s air quality fell within the ‘Satisfactory’ category, which ranges from an AQI of 51 to 100.
“Today, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 85, the lowest in the last three years for the period from 01st January to 15th March. Today’s AQI is also the first day of the current year with a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI (AQI 51-100).,” the commission posted on X. Notably, this marks the first instance since 2020 that Delhi has experienced a ‘Satisfactory’ air quality day in March.
Delhi has witnessed a ‘Satisfactory’ AQI in the month of March, for the first time in five years since 2020.
(2/2)— Commission for Air Quality Management (@CAQM_Official) March 15, 2025
Meanwhile, Delhi-NCR experienced a sudden shift in weather, with dark clouds blanketing the sky and light showers reported in some areas, including South Delhi, on Friday evening. The IMD has forecasted partly cloudy conditions with chances of isolated rainfall across northwest India in the coming days.
While Delhi enjoyed improved air conditions, other parts of the country braced for soaring temperatures. Ainapur Hobli, a village in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, emerged as the hottest place in India over the past 24 hours, recording a maximum temperature of 42.8°C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of a further rise in temperatures across north interior Karnataka, predicting an increase of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius from March 15 to 17.
