Chilly Conditions To Continue In Delhi As IMD Warns Of Cold Wave

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing severe cold in Delhi, the Meteorological Department has predicted a cold wave in the city between January 2-5. On Thursday, the maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 17.3 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature was 10.6 degrees Celsius, 3.7 degrees above normal.

What is a cold wave?

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature drops 4.5 to 6.5 degrees Celsius below the normal average temperature. 

The Meteorological Department has stated that cold wave conditions are likely to prevail in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi until January 5. The IMD further added that dense to very dense fog is likely to prevail in many parts of Delhi during the night and morning hours until January 6.

Will the fog persist?

Due to dense fog, visibility remained low in several areas of the Delhi-NCR region on Thursday. At Safdarjung, the lowest visibility of 500 meters was recorded from 10:30 PM on December 31, 2025 to 8:30 AM on the morning of January 1, 2026 which improved to 600 meters by 9 AM.  At Palam, visibility was also 500 meters from 9:30 PM on December 31 to 8 AM on Thursday morning, improving to 600 meters by 8:30 AM.

What are the conditions in Delhi?

Light rain or drizzle occurred at isolated places in the morning, while the sky remained partly cloudy throughout the day. On Thursday, the maximum temperature at monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR ranged between 14.8 degrees Celsius and 17.3 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 17.3 degrees Celsius, while at Palam it was 15.9 degrees Celsius, which was 2.8 degrees below normal. The maximum temperature recorded at Lodhi Road was 15.8 degrees Celsius, 16.6 degrees Celsius at Delhi Ridge, while the lowest maximum temperature was 14.8 degrees Celsius at Aya Nagar.

What were the minimum temperatures?

Minimum temperatures across the Delhi-NCR region ranged between 9 and 10.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was 10.6 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, 9 degrees at Palam, 10 degrees at Lodhi Road, 9.9 degrees Celsius at Ridge, while the minimum temperature recorded at Aya Nagar was 10.3 degrees Celsius.

The weather department expects partly cloudy skies for Friday, with moderate fog in many places and dense fog in some areas during the morning hours. The maximum temperature is likely to be between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius.

Will cold conditions continue?

IMD scientist Naresh Kumar said that an active Western Disturbance is prevailing over North Pakistan. Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall and snowfall occurred over the Western Himalayan region. Very light rainfall also occurred over the NCR. Due to low temperatures, light winds, and high humidity levels, fog will persist and cold conditions will continue for a longer period.

Wednesday was Delhi's coldest December day in the last six years, bringing a harsh end to 2025. The maximum temperature dropped to 14.2 degrees Celsius, which is about 6.2 degrees below normal. According to IMD data, an even lower maximum temperature was recorded in Delhi on December 31, 2019, when the day's maximum temperature was 9.4 degrees Celsius.