Delhi shivered through its coldest Republic Day in five years on Monday, with the mercury plunging to as low as 3.6°C in parts of the capital. Isolated coldwave conditions were reported across Delhi even as air quality deteriorated to the ‘poor’ category, ending a rare two-day stretch of “moderate” air quality in January.
According to officials, the sharp dip in minimum temperatures was driven by clear night skies and persistent icy northwesterly winds over the weekend. The last time Delhi experienced such low temperatures on Republic Day was in 2021, when the minimum touched 2.1°C.
Western disturbance to bring rain, rising temperatures
Wind speeds weakened during the day on Monday with the approach of a western disturbance, which is expected to raise minimum temperatures and bring light rain to Delhi on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, forecasting one to two spells of light rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of up to 40 kmph.
Officials said the incoming weather system could help check pollution levels, while fresh snowfall is expected in higher Himalayan reaches.
Air quality worsens after brief respite
Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 241 at 4 pm on Monday, slipping into the “poor” category from 153 at the same time on Sunday, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. Sunday’s AQI was also Delhi’s cleanest January day in four years.
Cold wave confirmed at multiple stations
Safdarjung, considered representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2°C, nearly four degrees below normal for this time of year. The station had logged 6.6°C on Sunday and 7.6°C on Saturday.
Elsewhere:
- Ayanagar in southwest Delhi recorded 3.6°C, about 5.4°C below normal
- Ridge area in north Delhi logged 5.3°C, nearly five degrees below average
IMD defines a cold wave as a situation when the minimum temperature falls below 10°C and is 4.5°C or more below normal, or when the actual temperature dips to 4°C or lower. At least two Delhi weather stations met these criteria on Monday.
Frost reported across NCR
Similar cold conditions prevailed across the National Capital Region, with ground frost reported in isolated pockets. IMD said Gurugram recorded a minimum of 4.2°C, one degree below normal.
Residents in south Delhi’s Sainik Farms and parts of Gurugram’s outskirts reported frost accumulation on car windshields. A local private weather station in Sainik Farms recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3°C, according to residents.
What lies ahead
Delhi’s maximum temperature on Monday stood at 23.2°C, a degree above normal, while Sunday’s maximum had settled at 18.2°C, two degrees below average.
According to IMD forecasts:
- Minimum temperature on Tuesday: 8°C–10°C
- Maximum temperature: 18°C–20°C
Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, explained that easterly winds and cloud cover associated with western disturbances usually raise night temperatures while reducing daytime heat. However, he warned that fresh snowfall could once again push minimum temperatures down across the plains from January 29.
Air quality expected to improve temporarily
The Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) said Delhi’s AQI is likely to return to the ‘moderate’ category on January 27 and 28, before slipping back to ‘poor’ on January 29.
As per CPCB classification:
- Moderate: AQI 101–200
- Poor: AQI 201–300
- Very Poor: AQI 301–400
- Severe: AQI above 400