Delhi Shivers At 4 Deg C; Orange Alert For Cold Wave In National Capital Today, Tomorrow

Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 08:09 IST

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Delhi on January 12 and 13 as cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are likely during morning and forenoon hours.

New Delhi: Workers sit around a small fire to keep warm on a cold winter morning (Photo: PTI)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi for January 12 and 13, warning of cold wave to severe cold wave conditions during the morning and forenoon hours, as biting cold continues to grip the national capital.

According to the IMD, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are “very likely at isolated places" over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh on Monday, and are expected to persist on Tuesday as well.

Similar conditions are forecast over Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan during the same period.

“The orange alert has been issued for Delhi today and tomorrow due to the likelihood of cold wave conditions during the morning and forenoon," the IMD said, adding that minimum temperatures are expected to remain significantly below normal.

The weather office said minimum and maximum temperatures in Delhi on Monday are likely to range between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius and 17 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Cold wave conditions are declared when minimum temperatures fall between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal.

Delhi experienced its first cold wave of the season on Sunday, with minimum temperatures dipping below 3 degrees Celsius at some places, IMD officials said.

The Safdarjung Observatory, the city’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius, which was 2.6 notches below the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature settled at 18.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches below normal.

Intense cold wave conditions were observed at isolated locations, including Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar, where minimum temperatures fell below 4 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.

Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius, its lowest in 13 years, while Ayanagar emerged as the coldest location in the city with a minimum temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius.

The IMD also said a yellow alert has been issued for January 14, indicating the continuation of cold wave conditions during the morning and forenoon, though with slightly reduced intensity.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Sunday, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index recorded at 291, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

The air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor’ from January 12 to January 14, with no significant improvement expected over the next few days, the air quality warning system said.

News india Delhi Shivers At 4 Deg C; Orange Alert For Cold Wave In National Capital Today, Tomorrow

Read More