Delhi reels under coldest December day since 2020, rain likely to usher in New Year

Delhi shivered through its coldest December day in five years on December 31, as “cold day” conditions tightened their grip on the capital and dense fog choked visibility across large swathes of north India.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a wet start to the New Year, with light rain likely on January 1, followed by a sharper plunge in temperatures from January 3.

The maximum temperature in Delhi slumped to 14.2°C — a stark 6.2 degrees below normal — marking the lowest daytime reading for December since 2020. The minimum settled at 6.4°C, marginally below average, as icy winds compounded the chill.

Station-wise IMD data showed Palam recording a maximum of 13.6°C, Lodhi Road 13.4°C, Ridge 13.8°C and Ayanagar 13.1°C, while minimum temperatures hovered between 6.8°C and 7.8°C across the city.

The weather office attributed the expected New Year rain to an induced cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana. If realised, it would mark Delhi’s first rainfall of the season. From January 3 onwards, cold wave conditions are likely to intensify, with minimum temperatures forecast to dip below 5°C.

Morning hours saw dense to very dense fog slash visibility to just 50 metres at Safdarjung and Palam, disrupting transport and daily life. The IMD warned that foggy conditions are likely to persist for at least the next five days.

Air quality remained precarious, with the AQI touching 398 — on the brink of the ‘severe’ category — as calm winds and poor dispersion trapped pollutants near the surface. Several monitoring stations slipped into the ‘severe’ bracket.

The fog-induced chaos spilled over to aviation, with 148 flights cancelled at Delhi airport during the peak holiday rush, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

West Bengal: Mercury dips below 10°C in hills

Cold conditions extended eastward, with Kolkata recording its lowest minimum temperature of the season at 11°C, nearly three degrees below normal. In the sub-Himalayan belt, the chill was sharper, as Darjeeling shivered at 3.4°C — the lowest in West Bengal.

The IMD has forecast light rain or snowfall in the upper reaches of Darjeeling over the next three days, warning that cold conditions are likely to persist in north Bengal for about a week. Foggy mornings are expected across the state, while south Bengal may see a gradual easing of the chill.

Kashmir: Fresh snow amid unusually warm nights

Several higher reaches of Kashmir, including Gulmarg, Gurez and parts of Kupwara and Baramulla, received fresh snowfall. Light to moderate rain or snow is likely at most places over the next 24 hours, with isolated spells of heavier snowfall in higher elevations.

However, the Valley continues to witness a warmer-than-usual winter, with night temperatures remaining 3–7 degrees above normal during Chilla-e-Kalan — traditionally the harshest phase of the season.

Jharkhand: Yellow alert for dense fog

In Jharkhand, the IMD issued a yellow alert for dense fog, cautioning that visibility may drop to 50–200 metres over the next two days. Gumla recorded the state’s lowest temperature at 3.9°C, while Ranchi saw a minimum of 7°C. Meteorologists attributed the conditions to prevailing north-westerly winds in the lower troposphere.

North and east India: Cold days to continue

The IMD warned that dense to very dense fog is likely to persist over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and parts of Uttar Pradesh in the coming days. Cold day conditions are expected across parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the western Himalayan region may see light to moderate rain or snowfall under the influence of an active western disturbance.