Overview
- Delhi’s Safdarjung station recorded a minimum of 2.9°C, while Palam fell to 2.3°C, about five degrees below normal and the lowest January reading there in roughly 20 years.
- Dense to very dense fog cut visibility to 50 metres at Palam and 100 metres at Safdarjung, with near-zero conditions reported in pockets such as Moti Bagh and Dwarka.
- Transport was severely disrupted, with data showing more than 500 flights delayed at IGI Airport and over 50 trains running late, according to Northern Railways.
- The IMD issued a yellow cold-wave alert and forecast a gradual rise in night temperatures to the mid-single digits through the weekend as winds shift under a western disturbance.
- Air quality stayed in the very poor range with a 24-hour AQI around 343–353, and the government’s early warning system projects a turn to severe conditions likely on January 18.