Delhi residents woke up to a severe chill on Saturday, December 20, 2025, as the national capital experienced its first official cold wave day of the winter season. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the conditions, marking a significant dip in temperatures that left the city shrouded in fog and grey haze.
IMD Declares Cold Wave Conditions
For the first time this winter, the city met the stringent meteorological criteria for a 'cold wave day'. According to the IMD, this occurs when the negative departure from the normal maximum temperature falls between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius. Two of Delhi's five key monitoring stations, Safdarjung and Palam, officially recorded these cold wave conditions.
The primary Safdarjung observatory recorded a maximum temperature of just 16.9 degrees Celsius, which is a substantial 5.3 degrees below the seasonal normal. The situation was even more pronounced at the Palam station, which logged a daytime high of 16.3 degrees Celsius, representing a negative deviation of 5.6 degrees from the average.
Visibility Plummets Amid Dense Fog
The cold was accompanied by significantly reduced visibility due to foggy conditions throughout the day. In the morning, the situation was particularly severe. At 8:30 AM, visibility at Safdarjung was a mere 200 metres, while Palam recorded 350 metres.
Although conditions improved slightly by the afternoon, shallow to moderate fog persisted. By 12:30 PM, visibility had increased to 400 metres at Safdarjung and 600 metres at Palam. The sun remained largely hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds and haze, contributing to the persistent cold.
The night was equally chilly, with the IMD reporting a minimum temperature of 6.1 degrees Celsius, which is two notches below the normal for this time of year.
Historical Context and Forecast
While Saturday was notably cold, IMD data provides context. The lowest maximum temperature recorded in December 2024 was 14.6 degrees Celsius. In previous years, the figures were 15.9 degrees in 2023 and 15.6 degrees in 2022.
Looking ahead, the weather office has predicted more challenging conditions. An orange alert has been issued for Sunday, warning of dense to very dense fog in the national capital. The forecast suggests maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 23 and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively, indicating continued cold weather.
The sudden onset of this cold wave serves as a reminder for Delhi's citizens to take necessary precautions, especially while traveling in low-visibility conditions and to ensure adequate warmth, particularly for vulnerable groups.
