Fog continues in Delhi, AQI close to 400-mark

 The National Capital Region (NCR) on Friday witnessed fog with visibility at 200 metres in the early morning hours, and the air quality recorded under the 'very poor' category, close to the 400-mark.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature was 6 degrees Celsius.

"The maximum temperature on Thursday was 20 degrees Celsius, the same for Friday is predicted to increase by a notch," an IMD official said.

The weather office predicted that the region will continue to witness dense to very dense fog on Saturday.

The visibility at Palam in Delhi at 5.30 a.m. was recorded at 200 metres, the IMD said, adding the city may witness thunderstorm with lightning later in the day.

"Under the influence of lower-level easterlies and their likely interaction with the mid and upper tropospheric westerly trough, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning/hail likely at isolated places over the northwest, central and northeast India during the next two days," the IMD said.

The air quality of the national capital was recorded under 'very poor' category.

According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR), the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 393 on Friday morning.

"The air quality is likely to be in the same category for Saturday," the SAFAR said.IANS