New Delhi: The national capital woke to its coldest morning of the season on Friday as a prolonged cold wave continued to grip the city, keeping temperatures sharply below normal and air quality firmly in the ‘very poor’ category.
Safdarjung station’s 4.3°C was 3.3 notches below the normal. Palam recorded a minimum of 4.7°C, 2.8 notches below normal, while Lodhi Road logged 4.7°C, 1.3 notches below normal.
The Ridge station recorded a relatively higher minimum of 6°C, though it was still 3.5 notches below normal, and Ayanagar reported 4.3°C.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 22°C.
On Thursday, Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 2.9°C, the lowest January minimum since 2023. Palam had recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3°C on Wednesday (January 14, 2026), its lowest since 2010.
Meanwhile, overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 348, with 33 stations recording ‘very poor’ air quality, four stations in the ‘poor’ category and one station in the ‘severe’ range. Pusa recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 403.
Cold Wave in Gurugram
In Grugram, cold wave conditions persisted as temperatures plunged sharply, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recording a minimum of 1.8°C at 5.30am. The reading marked a drop of 3.5°C below normal compared to Thursday.
The IMD’s latest weekly weather report for the state forecast no significant change in minimum temperatures until Friday, followed by a rise of 3-5 degrees over the next four days. “Another fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 19, 2026,” the report said.
Amid the cold conditions, Gurugram’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday morning. At 9am, the Central Pollution Control Board’s ‘Sameer’ app recorded the air quality index (AQI) at 346. All four active air quality monitoring stations in the district hovered between 320 and 370 during the period.
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