Is the air in Delhi safe today?

No. Right now the US AQI in Delhi is 192, which counts as unhealthy. Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.

When is the best time to be outside in Delhi?

Sat 13:00–16:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 128. The worst hour is around Fri 22:00, at 192.

What is the main pollutant in Delhi?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 115 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Delhi's air compare with the WHO guideline?

4.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 74 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10, NO2 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Delhi's air?

About 3.4 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 74 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Delhi improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 169, against 414 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Delhi air quality

India · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 22:30 local time

192

Unhealthy

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.

Next 24 hours: 122–192US AQI, highest around Fri 22:00
Best time outside: Sat 13:00–16:00US AQI about 128
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 4.9×74 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 3.4 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Delhi. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Delhi right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	115 µg/m³	Unhealthy	4.9×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	150 µg/m³	Moderate	2.1×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	71 µg/m³	Good	1.9×
Ozone O₃	26 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	40 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Carbon monoxide CO	4,078 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Aerosol optical depth	0.38	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	65 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 192 around Fri 22:00, lowest 98 around Sun 14:00.

50100150200

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Delhi

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 450.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	161–414	Hazardous	7:00	170	4 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	122–181	Unhealthy	0:00	69	4 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	98–205	Very unhealthy	23:00	65	3 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	86–203	Very unhealthy	0:00	67	5 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	81–169	Unhealthy	19:00	53	5 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Delhi

Is the air in Delhi safe today?
No. Right now the US AQI in Delhi is 192, which counts as unhealthy. Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.
When is the best time to be outside in Delhi?
Sat 13:00–16:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 128. The worst hour is around Fri 22:00, at 192.
What is the main pollutant in Delhi?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 115 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Delhi's air compare with the WHO guideline?
4.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 74 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Delhi's air?
About 3.4 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 74 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Delhi improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 169, against 414 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Delhi

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 282 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 PM₁₀: 413 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 NO₂: 29 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 O₃: 2.8 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 CO: 2.6 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00	1.7 km	414	Hazardous
Mandir Marg, New Delhi - DPCC OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 217 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 PM₁₀: 266 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 NO₂: 28 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 O₃: 7.1 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 SO₂: 134 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 CO: 5.0 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45	2.6 km	292	Very unhealthy
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 295 µg/m³ · Fri 22:30	2.7 km	438	Hazardous

Air quality near Delhi

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Chandigarh (96); worst: Gurugram (216). The tick on each bar is Delhi, at 192.

Noida 20 km SE 212 Very unhealthy
Ghaziabad 25 km E 189 Unhealthy
Gurugram 25 km SW 216 Very unhealthy
Jaipur 235 km SW 120 Sensitive
Chandigarh 239 km N 96 Moderate
Kanpur 391 km SE 180 Unhealthy

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 28.61°N, 77.21°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.