NEW DELHI: Delhi's air quality remained in the 'severe' category on Friday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 419 at 8:40 am as a thick layer of smoky haze continued to envelop the national capital, news agency IANS reported, citing Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Source: IANS via Fresh Headline, Nov 13, 2026

419Delhi overall AQI at 8:40 am Friday, CPCB
33 of 58Monitoring stations in the severe zone
474Noida average AQI at 8:05 am Friday

Out of the 58 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi, 33 recorded 'severe' air quality, with several locations reporting AQI levels above 450, according to CPCB data cited by IANS. The average AQI in adjoining Noida was also in the 'severe' category at 474 at 8:05 am, while Gurugram recorded 352, Ghaziabad 369 and Greater Noida 351, IANS reported via BizzBuzz.

Source: IANS via BizzBuzz, Nov 13, 2026

Hourly readings tracked a similar picture earlier in the morning: the AQI stood at 403 at 6:05 am and remained at the same level at 8 am and 9 am, according to the CPCB's Sameer app data reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, with Jahangirpuri at 430, Wazirpur at 427, Anand Vihar at 419, Rohini at 413, IGI Airport (T3) at 403 and Tikri Kalan at 402.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 13, 2026

Friday's severe reading is a sharp worsening from Thursday, when this site reported Delhi back in the 'very poor' zone at AQI 321 with GRAP-III curbs in force. Read the earlier story: Delhi AQI 321, GRAP-III curbs stay

GRAP-III curbs stay; no new order reported

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had invoked Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi and the National Capital Region on November 6 as a precautionary measure, and those restrictions remain in force. No new order on additional curbs had been reported at the time of writing. Under CPCB standards, an AQI between 401 and 500 is classified as 'severe'.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi's air quality is likely to remain between the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories until November 16, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via Fresh Headline, Nov 13, 2026

Saturday morning: severe pockets persist

There was no clear relief early on Saturday, November 14. Delhi's hourly average was 349 at 5 am, after Friday's 6 am to 11 am average topped 400, and by 6 am on Saturday several stations had touched severe again — Sector 62 in Noida at 442, NIH Narela at 428, North Campus, Delhi University at 423, IIT Delhi at 419, Pusa at 417 and ITO at 414, according to a Careerindia report on CPCB readings. Primary classes up to Class V are to run in hybrid mode in Delhi under the GRAP-III plan, the report said.

Source: Careerindia, Nov 14, 2026

The IMD expects dry, partly cloudy conditions and light winds over Delhi through November 16, while the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology's Early Warning System pegged Saturday in the very poor band with severe pockets, Careerindia reported.

Source: Careerindia, Nov 14, 2026