Delhi AQI 364 'very poor' as PM2.5 leads 53 stations
India
Delhi's air is getting tough to breathe, with the AQI hitting 364, firmly in the "very poor" zone.
PM2.5 was the leading pollutant at 53 of 59 air quality monitoring stations, and nearly one-third are now marked as "severe."
The Air Quality Early Warning System forecast that air quality could slip into the severe category on Saturday and Sunday.
Diwali firecrackers and 2,624 farm fires
The city was already close to "severe" AQI earlier this week, which triggered extra restrictions on activities.
The upcoming Diwali celebrations, with their usual firecrackers, are expected to add more smoke.
On top of that, NASA spotted 2,624 farm fires in Punjab and Haryana recently, sending more pollution Delhi's way.
Unhelpful weather, no rain, and warmer nights, is making it all stick around longer.