Delhi saw a sharp drop in temperatures on Monday, with some parts of the city recording a minimum of just 3.6°C, bringing isolated cold-wave conditions.
Safdarjung, the city’s main weather station, recorded 4.2°C, which is four degrees below normal. This made it the coldest Republic Day in the capital since 2021, when the minimum temperature had fallen to 2.1°C.
Delhi air quality slips back to ‘poor’
Air quality also worsened on the same day, slipping back into the ‘poor’ category after two rare days of ‘moderate’ air. The 24-hour average AQI rose to 241 by 4 pm, up from 153 on Sunday, which was the lowest January reading in the last four years.
IMD issues yellow alert for rain and snow
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert predicting light to moderate rain and snowfall in the western Himalayan region on January 27 and 28. Parts of northwest India may also see light to moderate rain, along with isolated thunderstorms or hailstorms.
“An intense Western Disturbance likely to cause light/moderate rainfall/snowfall at many places over Western Himalayan region during 26th- 28th and isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall and hailstorm on 27th January, 2026,” IMD said in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Delhi shivers at 3.6°C
Ayanagar recorded the lowest temperature in the city at 3.6°C, while the Ridge station saw a minimum of 5.3°C. Both locations met the criteria for cold-wave conditions on Monday.
The drop in temperature was caused by clear skies and strong northwesterly winds over the weekend. However, wind speeds reduced on Monday due to an approaching western disturbance, which is expected to raise night temperatures and bring light rain on Tuesday, officials said.
For Tuesday, the minimum temperature is expected to stay between 8°C and 10°C, while the maximum may range from 18°C to 20°C.
According to the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System, air quality is likely to improve to the ‘moderate’ category on January 27 and 28, before turning ‘poor’ again from January 29.