Delhi weather alert: More chilly winters predicted as dense fog continues in national capital? Check next seven day IMD forecast

Delhi the welcomed the New Year on January 1, 2026 with chilly winter and cloudy conditions with the minimum temperature settling at 10.6° Celsius on Thursday. The IMD has said from January 3, Delhiites may experience colder conditions as minimum temperatures could plunge further. What's the reason? The India Meteorological Department has said cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region expected to move towards the national capital.

On Friday too, a dense fog enveloped the national capital with the air quality remaining in the 'very poor' category. The weather office said the minimum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 9.1 degrees Celsius and has said cold wave conditions will continue in the national capital till January 5, 2026. The weather office said a cold wave was likely to affect isolated places between January 2 and January 5, according to a PTI report. Many weather stations in Delhi recorded temperatures less than 9 degrees Celsius, with Palam and Lodhi Road recording a minimum of 9 degrees Celsius each, Ridge 8.7 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar 8.1 degrees Celsius.

The IMD has warned that Delhi might experience dense to very dense fog during the night and morning hours at many places. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 18 degrees Celsius. On December 31, 2025, Delhi recorded its coldest day of the season with the lowest day temperature recorded since 2019. The last time a lower day temperature was recorded for the month was on December 31, 2019 when the city recorded 9.4 degrees Celsius, as per IMD data.


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7-day weather forecast for Delhi

DATE	WEATHER FORECAST

01.01.2026

Partly cloudy sky. Shallow fog during early hours.

02.01.2026

Partly cloudy sky. Moderate fog at many places with dense to very dense fog at a few places during morning hours.

03.01.2026

Mainly clear sky. Moderate fog at many places with dense fog at a few places during morning hours.

04.01.2026

Mainly clear sky. Moderate fog during morning hours.

05.01.2026

Mainly clear sky. Shallow to moderate fog during morning hours.

06.01.2026

Mainly clear sky. Shallow to moderate fog during morning hours.

07.01.2026

Mainly clear sky. Shallow to moderate fog during morning hours.

IMD issues orange alert for Delhi

For Friday, the IMD has predicted partly cloudy weather for the national capital with a fall in temperature. The temperatures remained slightly below the normal mark and fog continued to affect visibility in parts of the city. The IMD has said that the temperature in Delhi is likely to fall by around 2–4 degrees Celsius over the next three days. Minimum temperatures are likely to remain below normal for the next few days before returning to near-normal levels.

The IMD has sounded an orange alert for Delhi warning of moderate fog is likely at many places, with dense to very dense fog at a few locations during the morning hours. Similar fog conditions are expected to continue on January 3, with shallow to moderate fog likely in the days after. A yellow alert is in place for Delhi for January 3.

For the coming days, IMD has forecast mainly clear skies with shallow to moderate fog during morning hours. Day temperatures are expected to stay between 16 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius, while night temperatures may dip to between 6 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius by early next week. Commuters have been advised to remain cautious during early morning travel due to reduced visibility caused by fog, especially on highways and open roads.

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Dense fog grips North India

A severe cold wave accompanied by dense fog conditions continued to affect large parts of north, central and eastern India on Friday. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall was witnessed in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. A thick layer of fog amid intensifying cold conditions was seen in Haridwar thus reducing visibility as the fog blanketed the city.

Fog and cold wave conditions affected several cities across Uttar Pradesh too with Agra experiencing relatively lighter fog. The visuals from the Taj View Point ADA showed the monument visible despite the haze. However, other parts of the city remained shrouded in fog, while Prayagraj was engulfed in a thick blanket of fog amid intensifying cold wave conditions.

Dense fog prevailed in Kanpur, where residents were seen gathering around bonfires to keep warm. Similar scenes were reported from Moradabad, which woke up to fog-covered streets as the cold wave tightened its grip. Visibility dropped sharply in Ayodhya, where a dense fog enveloped the city, while Varanasi continued to reel under cold wave conditions, as visuals from Assi Ghat indicated.

In Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior was also blanketed by fog as cold wave conditions persisted. Eastern India faced similar weather disruptions, with a thick layer of dense fog covering Bhubaneswar, Khurda and several other parts of Odisha on the morning of January 2, 2026, extending the severe weather pattern that began on New Year’s Day.

(With PTI inputs)