Temperature Drops To 4.5 Degrees In Delhi After Parts Of North India Receive Fresh Snow

Fresh snowfall on Sunday left large parts of the Himalayan region in northern India under a thick layer of snow, also slowing down highway clearance work and disrupting movement in the hills.

The change in weather led to a fall in temperature across several areas in the plains, with Delhi recording another cold night.

The Safdarjung weather station in Delhi recorded a low of 6.6 degrees Celsius, which was around one degree below the seasonal average.

Palam reported the coldest night in the city, with the temperature dipping to 4.5 degrees Celsius.

While the cold intensified, Delhi’s air quality showed signs of improvement for the second day in a row. The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 153 on Sunday, placing it in the “moderate” category.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a mostly cloudy sky over Delhi by nightfall on Monday, with shallow to moderate fog expected during the morning hours.

Jammu-Kashmir Weather

In Jammu and Kashmir, light snowfall continued in several areas, although weather conditions showed slight improvement. This allowed authorities to partially reopen the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway after it remained closed for two days. Officials said road-clearing work was in progress at many locations, and stranded vehicles were being guided through icy and slippery stretches.

Temperatures across the Kashmir Valley stayed well below freezing. Gulmarg recorded a minimum of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, while Srinagar saw the mercury drop to minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. The region is currently observing ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, the harsh 40-day winter period marked by extreme cold. The weather department has warned of heavy spells accompanied by thunder and gusty winds at a few places from Monday night to Tuesday morning.

Himachal Pradesh Weather

Himachal Pradesh continued to experience severe cold following fresh snowfall in isolated higher areas, even as the rest of the state remained dry. Tabo village in the Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the lowest temperature at minus 10 degrees Celsius. Officials said 835 roads, including three national highways, were still closed on Sunday, and nearly 1,942 electricity transformers were affected.

The Met office has predicted another round of heavy snowfall in higher reaches from January 26 onwards and issued a ‘yellow’ alert across Himachal Pradesh. Thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds are expected at isolated places, while dense fog may also occur in some pockets on Monday.

Weather Forecast For Other Regions

Rajasthan was hit by cold northern winds on Sunday. Nagaur recorded the lowest temperature in the state at minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, while Jaipur recorded a minimum of 5.6 degrees Celsius. The weather office said a fresh western disturbance is likely to become active between January 26 and 27, bringing light rain to isolated parts of western and northern Rajasthan from Monday afternoon.

Cold weather also persisted in Punjab and Haryana. Ferozepur was the coldest location in Punjab at 3.4 degrees Celsius, while Narnaul in Haryana recorded a low of 2.8 degrees Celsius. The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall with lightning and gusty winds in both states from January 27.

In southern India, the weather department predicted thunderstorms with lightning and heavy rain at isolated places in Tamil Nadu, along with strong winds along coastal areas. Similar conditions are expected in parts of Kerala on January 26, and fishermen have been advised to stay off the sea due to rough conditions.