Delhi experienced its coldest December day since 2020 as biting winter conditions settled over the national capital, accompanied by dense fog and deteriorating air quality. The India Meteorological Department said the cold spell is likely to continue, with the possibility of light rain on New Year’s Day, which could bring the city its first rainfall of the season.
On Wednesday, the maximum temperature in Delhi dropped sharply to 14.2 degrees Celsius, around 6.2 degrees below the seasonal average. This marked the lowest daytime temperature recorded in December in the last five years. The minimum temperature stood at 6.4 degrees Celsius, marginally below normal, intensifying the chill felt across the city.
Weather data from various IMD stations showed consistently low temperatures. Palam recorded a maximum of 13.6 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road touched 13.4 degrees. The Ridge station reported 13.8 degrees, and Ayanagar was the coldest among them at 13.1 degrees. Minimum temperatures across stations ranged between 6.8 degrees and 7.8 degrees.
The weather department attributed the prevailing conditions to an induced cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana. As a result, Delhi is expected to witness a generally cloudy sky with a chance of very light to light rain on January 1. If rainfall occurs, it would be the first spell of rain in the city this winter. From January 3 onwards, meteorologists have warned that cold wave conditions could intensify further, with minimum temperatures potentially dropping below 5 degrees Celsius.
Dense to very dense fog blanketed the capital during the early morning hours, severely reducing visibility. At Safdarjung and Palam, visibility dropped to as low as 50 metres. The IMD has warned that foggy conditions are likely to persist for at least the next five days, posing challenges to transport and daily life.
Air quality remained a major concern, with the Air Quality Index hovering at 398, dangerously close to the ‘severe’ category. Several monitoring stations across the city recorded ‘severe’ air quality due to low wind speeds and poor dispersion of pollutants. The combination of cold weather and stagnant air further worsened pollution levels.
The dense fog also disrupted air travel, leading to the cancellation of 148 flights and affecting hundreds of passengers during the peak holiday travel period.
Cold conditions were not limited to Delhi alone. In West Bengal, Kolkata recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the season at 11 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees below normal. In the sub-Himalayan regions, temperatures dropped further, with Darjeeling recording a minimum of 3.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the state. The IMD has forecast light rain or snowfall in the upper reaches of Darjeeling over the next few days, while cold conditions are expected to linger in north Bengal for about a week.
Kashmir also witnessed fresh snowfall in higher reaches, including Gulmarg, Gurez and parts of Kupwara and Baramulla districts. Light to moderate rain or snow is expected at most places in the next 24 hours, with the possibility of heavier snowfall in isolated higher areas. However, despite the snowfall, the region continues to experience a warmer-than-usual winter, with night temperatures remaining 3 to 7 degrees above normal during Chilla-e-Kalan, traditionally the coldest phase of the season.
In Jharkhand, the IMD issued a yellow alert for dense fog across several districts, warning that visibility could drop to between 50 and 200 metres over the next two days. Gumla recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 3.9 degrees Celsius, while Ranchi reported a minimum of 7 degrees. Meteorologists attributed the fog and cold wave conditions to prevailing north-westerly winds in the lower troposphere.
According to the IMD, dense to very dense fog is likely to continue over parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in the coming days. Cold day conditions are expected to persist across parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while light to moderate rain or snowfall is forecast over the western Himalayan region under the influence of an active western disturbance.