Delhi and its nearby areas experienced an intensified winter chill as a sudden spell of light rain in Noida swept through on Friday morning, making the ongoing cold wave even harsher. Temperatures in the national capital hit a low of 5.8°C. The showers increased moisture in the air and pushed temperatures down further, leaving people shivering at the start of the day.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a nowcast warning at 5:30 am, saying there was a chance of light rainfall over Delhi-NCR and nearby regions.
Temperatures fall, humidity stays high
Delhi recorded 7°C at 7 am, but due to high humidity and winds, it felt more like 5.5°C. For the day, the IMD has predicted a maximum temperature of 15°C and a minimum of 5°C. Humidity remained very high at 95%, with a 45% chance of more light rain.
“The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are likely to be in the ranges of 16°C to 18°C and 5°C to 7°C, respectively,” IMD said.
Panipat, Gohana, Meham, Rohtak, Mahendargarh, Sohana, Palwal, Aurangabad, Hodal (Haryana) . Very Light rainfall/drizzle is likely to occur at isolated places of Delhi ( Jafarpur, Nazafgarh, Dwarka, Palam, IGI Airport, Ayanagar, Deramandi), NCR ( Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Faridabad,
— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) January 9, 2026
The combination of rain and very dense fog caused serious visibility problems on major roads, including the DND Flyway, Gurugram Expressway and Outer Ring Road. In areas like Palam and IGI Airport, visibility dipped below 50 metres, slowing down early-morning travel.
The IMD issued a yellow alert, warning travellers of possible delays. More than 30 trains and several flights arriving at Delhi airport could be affected.
Air Quality in ‘very poor category’
Even with the drizzle, the air quality in Delhi fell into the ‘very poor’ category on January 9, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 318 on Friday, worse than Thursday’s reading of 289.
Out of 40 monitoring stations, 24 recorded ‘very poor’ AQI at 6 am, while the rest reported ‘poor’ air quality. IGI Airport had the best AQI reading at 245, while Nehru Nagar had the worst at 389.
The weather department has also warned of dense fog, cold day conditions and cold wave conditions across northwest India in the coming days. States such as Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan are under a cold day alert, while Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana continue to face cold wave conditions.