Overview
- Delhi logged 3.0°C on Tuesday—its third straight cold‑wave day—with a slight uptick to 3.8°C reported on Wednesday.
- The IMD maintained an orange alert for the capital, and the Chandigarh Met Centre issued a red alert for Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday for severe cold and dense fog.
- Ground frost was observed in parts of the NCR, with sub‑zero pocket readings reported by private observers in Gurugram, as official lows across the plains neared or fell below freezing.
- Rajasthan and neighboring states recorded some of the sharpest lows, including reports of −0.4°C in Fatehpur (Sikar) and −2°C in Pratapgarh, alongside fog that hampered early travel.
- Air quality worsened, with Delhi’s AQI reaching 360 in the very poor band on Tuesday and several stations turning severe, and forecasts indicate very poor levels through at least January 16.