Air Quality near Delhi, India (AQI 193)
Right now
The most recent data we hold from OpenAQ and the agency that runs each station arrived 7 hours ago.
2 other detections within 20 km in the last 24 hours, the nearest <1 km from here.
This page covers the record dated 21 October 2026. Browse recent observations in this area:
Reported by OpenAQ and the agency that runs each station 10 days ago.
It is the 3rd strongest of the 93 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 16 March 2026. The last comparable one was on 20 October 2026. 7 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
OpenAQ and the agency that runs each station reported: PM2.5 24-hour mean 116.1 µg/m³ at New Delhi, India: Unhealthy, AQI 193 on the US EPA scale. 24 of 24 hours measured, ending 2026-10-21 23:30 UTC. Measured by a government monitoring agency via AirNow and OpenAQ; licence US Public Domain. Preliminary data, not yet validated.
The air quality index read 193 (Unhealthy) at the New Delhi station.
Urban PEI: 5,708,171 within a heuristic 5 km radius; not unique people.
This is the lowest air quality index we have recorded at this point, over 22 readings since 21 October 2026 — the previous range was 193 to 216.
Nearby, since 16 March 2026
- November 1, 2026 · score 66 · 0.0 km
- October 31, 2026 · score 59 · 0.0 km
- October 29, 2026 · score 59 · 0.0 km
How we know
One source: OpenAQ and the agency that runs each station. Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 59 out of 100.
This is our versioned heuristic index, not source severity or a calibrated probability. Urban PEI does not count unique people.
Computed under scoring rules v5. Rows carrying other versions were judged by different rules and are not directly comparable.
Series begins 8 March 2026. Comparisons refer to that period only. Collection gap: 14-26 August 2026.
This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.
Event data
| Type | Air Quality |
| Severity | Medium |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 59 / 100 |
| Legacy data-support index | 0.70/1 |
| Coordinates | 28.6358, 77.2245 |
| Nearest city | Delhi (2 km) |
| Urban exposure index (PEI) | 5.7M within 5 km |
| Impact tier | significant |
| Timestamp | 2026-10-21T23:30:00.000Z |
| Source | https://explore.openaq.org/locations/8118 |
| Licence | US Public Domain · AirNow, via OpenAQ |
| Data status | Preliminary, not yet validated |
Physical priority index · v5. Heuristic priority, not calibrated probability, predictive accuracy or damage. The legacy data-support index combines assigned source support and field availability. Urban PEI is distance-weighted and does not count unique people; zero does not establish that nobody is present. Model cards.
Source and revision timeline
Source: openaq. Occurrence: 2026-10-21T23:30:00.000Z.
First archived: 2026-10-21T01:32:26.441Z. Material modification: 2026-10-22T00:20:50.776Z.
Retained revisions are prospective; earlier versions may be unavailable. No revision entry does not prove that a record never changed.
Score breakdown
Technical details
| Aqi | 193 |
| AqiCategory | Unhealthy |
| AqiCategoryVersion | US-EPA-PM25-2024-05-06 |
| AqiProvenance | Calamity: US EPA PM2.5 24-hour breakpoints applied to the station's 24-hour mean; not an official AQI |
| Pm25 | 116.1 |
| MeasurementUnit | ug/m3 |
| AveragingPeriod | 24 hours |
| PeriodFrom | 2026-10-20T23:30:00.000Z |
| PeriodTo | 2026-10-21T23:30:00.000Z |
| HoursMeasured | 24 |
| LatestHourly | 142 |
| StationName | New Delhi |
| StationId | 8118 |
| SensorId | 23534 |
| Locality | India |
| Country | India |
| CountryCode | IN |
| Provider | AirNow |
| Licence | US Public Domain |
| LicenceUrls | ["http://www.usa.gov/publicdomain/label/1.0/"] |
Safety information
What to do when the air is unhealthy
Three things first, then what each level of the index means. From the US EPA’s AirNow.
For this reportAir Quality · Delhi
Less effort outdoors
Shorten or move indoors hard activity; the worse the index, the more people it concerns.
AirNowKeep indoor air clean
Windows closed when the air outside is worse, an air purifier if you have one.
AirNowA real mask outside
A well-fitting N95/FFP2 filters fine particles; cloth and surgical masks do little.
AirNow
Before, during, after. Here it is “after”.
Before · When bad air is forecast
Follow the index
Your local air quality index and forecast.
Medicines at hand
If you have asthma or a heart or lung condition, keep your medicines with you.
AirNow (US EPA)
During · While the air is bad
Children, older people, the sick
They are the first to reduce effort outdoors.
Watch for symptoms
Coughing, breathlessness, chest pain: stop and get help if needed.
AirNow (US EPA)
After · When it improves
Air the house
When the outside air is better than inside.
AirNow (US EPA)
Questions people ask
What do the index levels mean?
0-50 good; 51-100 moderate; 101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups; 151-200 unhealthy, for everyone; 201-300 very unhealthy; over 300 hazardous. Source: AirNow (US EPA).
Who are the sensitive groups?
People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teenagers, pregnant women and people who work or exercise outdoors. Source: AirNow (US EPA).
Review the area, threshold and delivery channel in your account.