By: Express News ServiceNew Delhi | December 31, 2025 02:51 AM IST 2 min readThe IMD issued an orange alert for Wednesday, warning of cold day conditions at isolated places in Delhi, along with dense to very dense fog.Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) improved marginally to the ‘Very Poor’ category on Tuesday, even as dense fog reduced visibility in parts of the Capital. The city’s 24-hour average AQI declined from 401 (Severe) on Monday to 388 on Tuesday, in the ‘Very Poor’ category.The AQI in Noida, meanwhile, dipped slightly from 410 (Severe) on Monday to 400 on Tuesday, entering the ‘Very Poor’ category. Ghaziabad saw a worsening trend, with AQI rising from 393 (Very Poor) on Monday to 404 (Severe) on Tuesday. Gurgaon recorded a drop from 318 (Very Poor) on Monday to 294 (Poor)on Tuesday.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense to very dense fog, low wind speeds and a low ventilation index have continued to hamper dispersion of pollutants. Visibility dropped to as low as 50 m at Safdarjung and Palam in Delhi during the night and early morning hours.The IMD issued an orange alert for Wednesday, warning of cold day conditions at isolated places in Delhi, along with dense to very dense fog.Surface winds over Delhi are expected to remain below 5-10 kmph, while the ventilation index is likely to stay well below the favourable threshold of 6,000 m²/s over the next few days, keeping pollution levels high, it added.According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the AQI is expected to worsen to ‘Severe’ between December 31 and January 1, and improve marginally back to ‘Very Poor’ on January 2. The outlook for the next six days forecast AQI to remain ‘Very Poor’, the IMD said. It has also forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain on New Year’s day.Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 21.5 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches above normal, and a minimum of 9.4 degrees Celsius, 2.6 notches above normal.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:delhiDelhi air pollution