The Delhi-NCR region is reeling under a cold wave with minimum temperatures plummeting, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for the coming days.
According to the IMD’s daily bulletin, issued on the evening of December 1, the minimum temperatures in the region “dropped by about 2°C in the last 24 hours”, taking the overall temperature range to a frigid 6-8°C.
The IMD further noted that the minimum temperatures in Delhi “were appreciably below normal (-3.1 to -5.0 °C) at several places” and “significantly below normal (-5.1 °C or below) at several places, conditions that meet the criteria for a cold wave, which is defined as a deviation from normal of -4.5 °C to -6.4 °C at a station when the minimum temperature is 10 °C or below.
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For instance, Delhi’s Safdarjung primary station recorded a minimum temperature of just 5.7°C on Monday, a significant deviation of -4.6°C from the seasonal normal.
Ayanagar and Ridge monitoring stations also reported temperatures well below the seasonal normal, each at -5.5°C.
“These (minimum temperatures) are likely to rise by about 1°C in the next 24 hours and fall by 2-3°C in the next 3 days,” the IMD said in its daily bulletin forecasting cooler nights ahead.
The forecast suggests cold wave conditions are “likely to persist over isolated locations over the next five days”.
For the next few days until December 7, Friday is set to be the coldest, with the mercury expected to drop to a low of 5-7°C.
The IMD also warned of shallow fog during the morning hours from Tuesday, which could worsen the cold and cause visibility problems for both commuters and flights.
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Improving air quality, no promise of rain
The IMD report released on Monday did not predict any rainfall for the forecast period, mostly clear or partly cloudy skies were expected along with fog, haze and shallow fog.
While it may have been bad news for Delhiites who have been reeling under the burdensome air pollution levels for nearly a month, air quality levels showed signs of improvement since Sunday when the national capital broke a 24-day streak of “very poor” AQI, thanks to strong northwesterly winds.
On Monday morning, Delhi’s overall AQI was 300 in the ‘poor’ category, slightly worse than Sunday’s AQI of 279.
CPCB classifies AQI values between 0 and 50 as “good”, 51 and 100 as “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 as “moderate”, 201 and 300 as “poor”, 301 and 400 as “very poor” and 50 as always as “very poor” and 400
Complete 7-day weather forecast for Delhi
- December 1, 2025 (Monday): Maximum temperature 26.1°C / Minimum temperature 5.7°C. Mainly a clear sky. Fog/haze during the night. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated locations.
- December 2, 2025 (Tuesday): Maximum temperature 25-27°C / Minimum temperature $8-10°C. Mainly a clear sky. Shallow fog during the morning hours. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated locations.
- December 3, 2025 (Wednesday): Maximum temperature 22-24°C / Minimum temperature 7-9°C. Mainly a clear sky. Shallow fog during the morning hours. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated locations.
- December 4, 2025 (Thursday): Maximum temperature 22-24°C / Minimum temperature 6-8°C. Mainly a clear sky. Shallow fog during the morning hours. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated locations.
- December 5, 2025 (Friday): Maximum temperature 22-24°C / Minimum temperature 5-7°C. Partly cloudy. Shallow fog during the morning hours. Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated locations.
- December 6, 2025 (Saturday): Maximum temperature 22-24°C / Minimum temperature 7-9°C. Partly cloudy. Shallow fog during the morning hours.
- December 7, 2025 (Sunday): Maximum temperature 23-25°C / Minimum temperature 8-10°C. Partly cloudy. Shallow fog during the morning hours.
