New Delhi: The air quality in Delhi remained in the "poor" category on Monday (December 2) morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) likely to deteriorate marginally tomorrow, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

The overall AQI of the national capital was 266, in the "Poor" category at 9am on Monday, said SAFAR.

"The overall Delhi Air Quality Index (AQI) is back in the poor category on Monday. The impact of moist air due to rain is diminishing now. The SAFAR model forecast suggests AQI is likely to deteriorate marginally to the higher end of poor category for tomorrow," said SAFAR in its trending summary.

Further deterioration to the "Very Poor" category is forecast for December 3. "Since fire count is low, no significant stubble impact is expected in Delhi tomorrow," the agency said.

In Chandni Chowk, the major pollutant PM 2.5 was at 343 in the "Very Poor" category whereas in Noida it was s at 227 in the "Poor" category.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered "Good", 51-100 "Satisfactory", 101-200 "Moderate", 201-300 "Poor", 301-400 "Very Poor" and 401-500 is marked as "Severe". An AQI above 500 falls in the "Severe Plus" category.

After a brief respite from the toxic air, the air quality of Delhi again plunged into the "Poor" category on Sunday (December 1) morning making it difficult for locals to move outdoors.

The maximum and minimum temperatures in the national capital are expected to hover around 23.4 degrees Celsius and 8.0 degrees Celsius, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).