Dip Of Mercury During This Week In Delhi, But Cold Wave Unlikely
Key Takeaways
- Delhi’s minimum temperature is staying near normal despite the chilly feel.
- Day temperatures will remain 1°C–2°C below average this week.
- Cold wave and cold day criteria are unlikely to be met.
- Dry conditions and fog will dominate due to clear night skies.
Delhi’s temperature has been hovering between 6°C and 7°C for the last three days. A dip in mercury and a nip in the air are likely during this week. Dry cold will continue to prevail, but cold wave and cold day conditions are unlikely. While the minimum temperature will remain close to normal, the day temperature is expected to stay below average by 1°C–2°C.
A ‘cold day’ is declared when the minimum temperature is less than 10°C and the maximum temperature is at least 4.4°C below normal. A severe cold day is when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5°C below normal. Such occasions are very rare, and Delhi has not observed such conditions over the last decade.
A cold wave is announced for the plains when the minimum temperature is 10°C or below and is 4.5°C below normal for two consecutive days. However, for a small area such as Delhi, even if the criterion is fulfilled for a single day, a cold wave is considered. Another criterion for a cold wave is when minimum temperatures drop to 4°C or less in the plains.
The month of January has a normal minimum temperature of about 7°C for Delhi between January 1 and January 21. The pentad normal rises to 8°C–9°C during the fag end of the month between January 25 and January 31. Delhi has invariably recorded minimum temperatures below 5°C in January, with only a few exceptions, over the last 15 years.
Since January 2010, the base station Safdarjung has recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 1.1°C on January 1, 2021. The all-time lowest minimum temperature remains −0.6°C, recorded on January 16, 1935.
There is no active western disturbance expected over the next 10 days, and no rainfall is likely. Dry cold will persist, with thick fog occurring on a few occasions during this week. Clear night skies will facilitate sustained radiational cooling, triggering a dip in mercury levels across Delhi/NCR, especially between January 8 and January 10, 2026. Cold wave conditions are unlikely during this period.
