The daytime temperature was recorded at 29.4 degrees Celsius, four notches above the seasonal average, according to IMD.

The 'severe' category poses serious health risks, especially due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing long-term health issues

The world's largest emitters, China and the US, ranked 55th and 57th, respectively, remaining among the poorest performers.

The AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded as 457; the AQI in Ashok Vihar was 455; Chandni Chowk's AQI was 439 and RK Puram recorded an AQI of 421.

With the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading 422 at 6 AM on Saturday, Delhi was once again engulfed in a dense layer of poisonous haze as the air quality fell into the "Severe" category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),

Experts attribute the deteriorating conditions to a mix of vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and unfavourable weather patterns

The Central Pollution Control Board data shows of the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, nine reported AQI readings in the “severe” range.