North India continues to reel under an intense cold wave as icy air settles over the plains, triggering freezing temperatures, dense fog, zero visibility, and widespread frost across several states.
At just 0.6 degrees Celsius, Gurugram recorded its coldest night in decades on Monday, while Delhi’s minimum temperature dipped to 3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning, making the national capital colder than Shimla, which remained comparatively warmer. The sharp drop in temperatures comes amid persistent cold wave conditions affecting large parts of the region.
Why Is North India Experiencing Extreme Cold?
Weather experts have attributed the biting cold to the absence of an active western disturbance and the inflow of cold winds from the Himalayas.
IMD senior scientist Naresh Kumar explained that icy winds descending from the Himalayan region are responsible for the unusual chill.
“There is no western disturbance over northwest India, and cold winds are incoming from the Himalayas with a vertical extension of 5–6 kilometres. Thus, the temperatures are much lesser than normal,” Kumar told NDTV.
The accumulation of cold air in the plains has intensified the cold wave, leading to ground frost and near-zero visibility in several areas. Meanwhile, cloud cover has trapped heat in higher altitudes, making many hill stations warmer than the plains of Delhi-NCR.
IMD Warning: Cold Wave to Continue
According to the India Meteorological Department, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely to persist for the next 2–3 days over:
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Rajasthan
- Jharkhand
- Odisha
Dense fog conditions are also expected to continue during morning hours over northwest India and Bihar for the next 5–6 days, raising concerns over transport disruptions.
Frost, Freezing Temperatures Across States
Several regions reported extreme lows and visible frost:
- Bathinda (Punjab): 0.6°C
- Fatehpur (Rajasthan’s Sikar district): –0.4°C, dipping below the freezing point
- Delhi-NCR: Frost observed in Faridabad, Rewari and other areas, especially on farmlands and vehicles
In Jammu and Kashmir, parts of Dal Lake in Srinagar and other water bodies froze as Chilla-i-Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period, tightened its grip on the Valley.
Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir Outlook
Cold conditions prevailed across Uttar Pradesh, with daytime temperatures in major cities hovering between 13°C and 19°C.
Meteorological officials said a weak western disturbance is likely to impact the Kashmir Valley on Friday, followed by a stronger system three days later. This has raised hopes of snowfall, especially as the region has witnessed deficient precipitation so far this winter.