Delhi freezes at 3.2°C amid ‘poor’ AQI, IMD warns of dense fog as cold wave grips North India
As the temperature in the national capital Delhi remains low, the IMD has issued a fresh cold wave warning for Delhi, NCR and north India.
Dense fog and temperature drops continue to hit North India as the winter season continues. As the temperature in the national capital remains low, the India Meteorological Department has issued a fresh cold wave warning for Delhi, NCR and north India.
As per the weather bulletin for Monday, January 12, the IMD has predicted a cold wave over Uttar Pradesh, Jammu, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, dense fog and cold wave conditions are also expected in some pockets of Rajasthan, Bihar and northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland.
Dense fog likely for Delhi
As per the weather department, dense fog is expected to prevail for the Delhi and NCR regions till January 17, 2026.
As per IMD data on Monday, the lowest temperature recorded at Delhi's Safdarjung stood at 3.2 degrees Celsius.
On Sunday, Delhi's temperature dropped to 2.9 degrees Celsius, with Ayanagar recording the lowest drop. In Palam, the minimum temperature stood at three degrees. Delhi's Safdarjung recorded a low temperature of 4 degrees Celsius.
CAT III imposed at IGI airport amid low visibility
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has also issued an advisory for passengers due to the dense fog in the capital. As per the notice issued at 8 AM, passengers are required to check their flight status due to low visibility near the airport area.
However, the latest notice reads that CAT III conditions have been imposed for the airport area due to the fog in Delhi.
"Flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog, which may result in delays and cancellations. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight information or visit our official website," reads the notice issued on social media platform X.
Delhi AQI remains 'poor'
As biting cold grips the national capital, Delhi AQI continues to remain in the 'poor' category. As per data released by the Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality level in Delhi, as of Sunday at 4 PM, stood at 291.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
