- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Thu, 01 Jan 2026 11:59 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Delhi Weather: A severe spell of winter cold greeted Delhiites as the capital woke up to the first day of 2026. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that cold wave and dense fog conditions are expected to prevail in the Delhi-NCR region throughout January. The weather department has further predicted light rainfall for some parts of the city today.
The city recorded its coldest day of December in six years on New Year’s Eve, with the maximum temperature plunging to 14.2 degrees while the minimum temperature stood at 6.4 degrees. The last time Delhi registered such a low temperature was way back on December 31, 2019, when the maximum dipped to 9.4 degrees.
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Dense Fog, Biting Cold Mark Delhi’s First Day of 2026
According to the IMD, temperatures in the national capital dropped sharply below the normal on December 31. Weather officials attributed this phenomenon to the significant drop in temperatures both during the day and at night. The weather department said that this trend is set to continue until the early week of January.
The IMD has further predicted that from January 3, the minimum temperatures in the city will further plummet due to cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region moving towards Delhi.
Delhi AQI Plunges To ‘Very Poor’ Category
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ range as a thick layer of smog blanketed the capital. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 371 at 9 am on Thursday, January 1.
Amid low visibility conditions, Delhi airport and several airlines issued advisories warning passengers of potential flight delays and disruptions due to widespread fog across parts of northern India.
Official data showed that visibility at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport was limited to 600 metres under shallow fog at 9 am. The IMD later projected an improvement in visibility to about 1,200 metres by 2.30 pm as fog conditions ease.