Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram are continuing to experience a severe cold wave, accompanied by dense fog, disrupting daily life across the Delhi-NCR region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts, cautioning residents to be prepared for the hazardous weather conditions.
Delhiites woke up to another chilly morning, with minimum temperatures significantly below normal, marking the coldest January mornings in the last three years. On January 12, 2026, Delhi recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the season at 3.2 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in the capital on Wednesday, January 14, is expected to be around 20 degrees Celsius, while the minimum is likely to hover around 4 degrees Celsius. The weather agency has issued an orange alert for cold in Delhi, warning of cold wave conditions in some areas. The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday. The cold wave is declared when minimum temperatures fall 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal.
Noida and Gurugram are also facing similar weather conditions. The IMD has issued a cold wave warning for Noida. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 18 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Gurugram is likely to experience fog/mist during the early morning hours and clear skies during the later part of the day. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 15 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius, respectively. On January 12, 2026, weather readings taken between 5 am and 7.30 am showed ground frost, with temperatures in parts of Gurgaon dipping to minus 1 degree Celsius.
The severe cold wave has led to the freezing of dew, forming layers of ice in open areas across Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab. Fields, shrubs, and crops were coated with ice. Farmers reported water turning into ice when irrigation pipelines were opened. Cold winds sweeping in from the Himalayas intensified the chill across the state.
The IMD has warned that a combination of severe cold wave conditions and dense to very dense fog is likely to disrupt daily routines across the northwest. Dense fog is likely in Punjab and in some northern cities of Rajasthan, including Ganganagar and Hanumangarh. Along with this, dense fog may also occur in Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Ambala, as well as in Chandigarh, in Haryana. In Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, fog may occur in patches.
In addition to the cold wave and dense fog, air quality in Delhi-NCR remains in the 'very poor' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality was recorded in the 'very poor' category, with an AQI of 357 at 7 am on Wednesday.
