Delhi shivers at 2.9°C, coldest night in 3 years as dense fog disrupts daily life

Delhi woke up to its coldest night in three years on Thursday. The minimum temperature at Safdarjung dropped to 2.9 degrees Celsius. This reading marked the sharpest chill since January 18, 2023, when the mercury had fallen to 2.6 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, harsh winter conditions continued across the capital. Dense to very dense fog covered large parts of the city. As a result, visibility dropped sharply during early morning hours. The India Meteorological Department warned that fog would persist in the coming days.

According to the IMD, Delhi will likely face fog during night and morning hours until January 16. In addition, isolated pockets may see dense fog until January 19. These conditions continue to disrupt traffic, flights, and train services.

Early Thursday morning, the impact became clear. At 5:30 am, visibility at Palam airport fell to nearly 50 metres. At the same time, Safdarjung reported visibility close to 100 metres. Commuters struggled on roads as fog reduced sightlines across major stretches.

Soon after, visuals of the fog-filled city surfaced. News agency ANI shared images showing low visibility and empty roads. The visuals reflected the intensity of the cold wave gripping the region.

Temperatures stayed low across Delhi. Safdarjung recorded the lowest at 2.9 degrees Celsius. Palam followed closely at 2.3 degrees. Ayanagar recorded 2.7 degrees, while Lodi Road stood at 3.4 degrees. The Ridge area remained relatively warmer at 4.5 degrees Celsius.

At the same time, the cold extended beyond Delhi. The National Capital Region also reported extreme conditions. Gurugram saw a steep fall in temperature. An automatic weather station recorded a minimum of 0.8 degrees Celsius early Wednesday morning. This marked a sharp drop of 2.4 degrees within 24 hours.

In contrast, Faridabad saw no major change. The minimum temperature stayed at 4.2 degrees Celsius, similar to the previous day. Despite this stability, cold conditions persisted across the region.

According to the IMD, Gurugram remains under a yellow alert. Weather officials expect the warning to continue through Wednesday. However, they also shared some relief. A senior IMD official said temperatures may rise gradually over the next two to three days. The mercury could climb by 2 to 3 degrees toward normal levels.

Visibility conditions also fluctuated through the morning. Around 3 am, outer areas recorded visibility near 300 metres. By 8:30 am, visibility improved slightly to about 350 metres. Despite this improvement, fog continued to pose risks for early travel.

Overall, the region showed marginal temperature changes. The average minimum temperature rose by just 0.3 degrees compared to the previous day. However, this small rise offered little comfort. Haryana’s temperatures still stayed well below normal.

Across the state, temperatures remained lower than average by 3.2 degrees Celsius. Saragthal recorded the lowest minimum at 0.4 degrees Celsius, highlighting the severity of the cold wave.

For now, cold air and fog continue to dominate North India. Weather officials urge residents to stay cautious during early travel hours. As winter tightens its grip, the region waits for gradual relief in the days ahead.