Residents of the national capital are bracing for a severe chill as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for coldwave conditions, which is expected to persist until Monday. The city experienced its coldest January night in two years on Saturday, with the mercury plunging to a biting 4.2 degrees Celsius.
Record-Breaking Chill Grips the Capital
On Saturday, Delhi's minimum temperature settled at a stark 4.2 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below the seasonal normal. This marked the coldest January night since 2023. The chill intensified from Friday's low of 4.6 degrees Celsius. According to IMD data, the last time a lower minimum was recorded this month was on January 15, 2024, at 3.3 degrees Celsius.
IMD scientist Krishna Kumar stated that coldwave conditions are likely to continue during the morning hours till Monday, with minimum temperatures expected to hover between 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. A cold wave is officially declared when the minimum temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius and the departure from normal is 4.5 degrees or more, or when the temperature dips below 4 degrees Celsius.
Dense Fog and Icy Winds Add to the Misery
The intense cold has been accompanied by dense fog, severely reducing visibility across the city. On Saturday, visibility dropped to as low as 50 metres in some areas. At Palam, visibility was recorded at 100 metres in the early morning. The city's base station, Safdarjung, reported a minimum visibility of 200 metres at 7:30 AM.
An IMD official attributed the harsh conditions to "icy cold winds from the western Himalayan region which are continuously prevailing in the city." The wind speed remained low, mainly between 5-7 kmph, allowing the fog to persist. The IMD forecasts moderate to dense fog on Sunday morning, likely turning shallow to moderate by Monday.
Air Quality Remains in the 'Very Poor' Zone
Compounding the discomfort, Delhi's air quality has continued to languish in the 'Very Poor' category for the second day in a row. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 346 on Saturday, slightly worse than Friday's 345. The Air Quality Early Warning System, under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, has predicted that the air quality is likely to remain in the 'Very Poor' category until January 13 and for six days thereafter.
While the days have been slightly warmer, the maximum temperature on Saturday was 20.2 degrees Celsius (one degree above normal), it offers little respite. The IMD predicts maximum temperatures to range between 16-18 degrees Celsius on Sunday and 17-19 degrees on Monday.
Historical data reveals that while Delhi did not record a single coldwave day in January 2025, it witnessed five such days in January 2024 and a significant eight in January 2023. An IMD official noted, "According to Delhi's climatology, most cold wave conditions are seen in January." The city has seen minimum temperatures in single digits continuously since January 2, when it dropped to 9.1 degrees from 10.6 degrees on New Year's Day.
