Cold northwesterly winds to pick up speed, keep max temp between 16-18°C in Delhi

A sharp dip in the minimum temperature was expected in Delhi from January 4, with no western disturbance likely until January 15

Published on: Jan 2, 2026, 08:51:27 IST

By Jasjeev Gandhiok

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Cold northwesterly winds were expected to pick up speed during the day on Friday, and keep the maximum temperature between 16-18°C, even as shallow fog enveloped Delhi and the air quality improved to the lower end of the “very poor” range.

A 24-hour average AQI of 311 was recorded at 8am on Friday. (PTI)

The mercury went up to 17.3°C on Thursday, which was two degrees below normal. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded the lowest maximum temperature of 14.2°C since December 29, 2019, when it was 13.3°C.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Friday, forecasting dense to very dense fog in parts of the city. A yellow alert is in place for moderate to dense fog on Saturday.

A sharp dip in the minimum temperature was expected from January 4, with no western disturbance likely until January 15.

“Cold northwesterly winds will start blowing from Friday, but with no western disturbance ahead, we will now have consistent icy-cold winds across the plains. The minimum will start dipping and by the second week of January, could drop below 5°C,” said weatherman Navdeep Dahiya.

A 24-hour average air quality Index (AQI) of 311 was recorded at 8am on Friday, compared to 380 (very poor) at 4pm on Thursday. The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said the air quality is likely to be in the “very poor” category until January 11.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More

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