Delhi Freeze To Season's Lowest Temperature : Capital Colder Than Shimla: No Respite Likely
Key Takeaways
- Delhi recorded its lowest minimum of the season at 3°C, also the lowest in three years.
- Delhi recorded its lowest minimum of the season at 3°C, also the lowest in three years.
- Extreme cold will persist for the next two days across North India including Delhi.
- Rain is likely over Delhi/NCR between 18th and 22nd January, which may ease the cold briefly.
As on predicted lines, Delhi has numbed further and recorded the lowest minimum temperature of the season today morning. Safdarjung registered a night temperature of 3°C, the least so far. This also is the lowest temperature of the last three years, when the observatory recorded a low of 1.4°C on 16th Jan 2023. Today’s minimum is about 4.4°C below normal. The observatory has clocked a minimum of less than 4°C for the straight second day and so marks cold wave conditions for two consecutive days. Incidentally, the base station yesterday recorded the highest day temperature of this month so far. The maximum rose to 20.6°C, breaching the 20°C mark for the second time in the last 12 days. With this, the capital city had a diurnal variation, the difference between the maximum and the minimum, of a huge 17.4°C. Marginal changes are expected in the day and night temperatures over the next two days and a change thereafter.
Srinagar and Manali have already registered sub-zero temperatures, with Srinagar plunging to minus 6°C and Manali dipping to minus 1.4°C during the opening week of Jan 2026. Shimla is yet to join the club of freezing stations. The capital city of Himachal had plummeted to a low of 1.5°C on 07th Jan 2026. The city recorded a low of 6.6°C today morning, double the minimum of Delhi, leaving the national capital colder than Shimla and coldest in the NCR.
The western disturbance has already cleared the mountains and the cold sweep from the slopes is now unrestricted. The plains of North India, predominantly Punjab and Haryana, will face the fury. The icy winds will make their way through to the capital city Delhi as well. Extreme cold conditions will continue for the next two days. Ease out, if any, will not be earlier than 16th Jan 2026.
An active western disturbance is likely to approach the mountains on 16th Jan 2026. It will influence the plains, including Delhi, around the approaching weekend. It looks promising to break the jinx of the dry spell too. Rains are likely over Delhi/NCR between 18th and 22nd Jan 2026. The national capital is going through peak winters as of now. Another wave may come in the wake of the next spell, around Republic Day 2026. Decline of severe cold may only commence at the fag end of January or the start of February.
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