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Rain greets Mumbai on New Year, coldest December day for Delhi in 6 years | Weather update today
Weather update: As India ushers in the New Year, a severe cold wave gripped multiple states, including Delhi and Punjab. Meanwhile, Mumbai witnessed some rain.
India stepped into the New Year under an intense spell of winter, with large parts of the country witnessing cold wave conditions, dense fog, and sharply dipping temperatures, according to national and regional reports by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
While Mumbai witnessed some early morning showers on the first day of the New Year 2026, Delhi saw its coldest December day in six years on New Year's eve. A similar cold wave spell gripped Rajasthan too, and schools were closed in Assam's Guwahati due to a sharp fall in daytime temperatures.
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Delhi sees coldest December day in six years
In the national capital, Delhi experienced its harshest December day in six years on Wednesday, December 31, as daytime temperatures struggled to rise, settling well below seasonal norms, marking an unusually cold end to 2025. Weather officials noted that such “cold day” conditions occur when both daytime and night-time temperatures remain significantly lower than average, a trend expected to persist into early January, as per IMD. Shallow fog also reduced visibility across several parts of the city during evening hours, affecting travel conditions.
Jharkhand temperatures dip to 4 degrees Celsius
Eastern India also remained in the grip of severe winter weather. Jharkhand faced dense fog warnings, with visibility dropping to dangerously low levels in several districts, while temperatures in some locations dipped close to 4 degrees Celsius, said an IMD bulletin. Meteorologists attributed these conditions to persistent north-westerly winds dominating the lower atmosphere.
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Schools closed in Assam's Guwahati
In the Northeast, Assam’s Guwahati saw such a sharp fall in daytime temperatures that authorities ordered a week-long closure of schools to safeguard children’s health, news agency PTI reported. Cloudy skies, intermittent drizzle, and cold air created difficult living conditions, prompting residents to rely on wood fires and heavy winter clothing.
Mumbai, Bengaluru see light showers
Mumbai's Walkeshwar and Lower Parel areas saw light showers, that brought down pollution levels, as per news agency ANI.
Several parts of Bengaluru also witnessed light rain on New Year's eve, putting a damper on partygoers, especially in the Yelahanka region, as per several social media posts.
Rajasthan sees single-digit minimum temperatures
Rajasthan continued to witness sharp night-time chills, with Karauli emerging as the coldest spot in the state as temperatures dropped close to the season’s lowest levels, reflecting the growing intensity of winter across the desert state, a PTI report stated. Several towns across eastern and northern Rajasthan reported single-digit minimum temperatures, while Jaipur and Jodhpur also experienced noticeably colder nights than usual. Dense to very dense fog is also expected to blanket large stretches of northern, western and eastern Rajasthan between January 1 and 3, potentially impacting road and rail movement.
ALSO READ | Pune records coldest December in a decade as minimum temperatures dip sharply
Punjab residents stay indoors amid biting cold
Cold conditions tightened their grip over Punjab as well, as winter nights remained biting across the state, with several cities recording low temperatures hovering in the mid-single digits, keeping residents indoors during early morning and late-night hours, said a PTI report. Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala experienced chilly starts to the day, while pockets such as Gurdaspur and Faridkot reported even lower minimum temperatures, indicating uneven but widespread cold stress across the region. The joint capital Chandigarh also felt the winter chill, mirroring conditions in adjoining parts of Haryana where places like Rohtak and Narnaul recorded some of the lowest temperatures in the region, the report added.
Kashmir sees fresh snow on New Year's day
Kashmir welcomed the New Year with fresh snowfall across several tourist destinations and higher reaches of the valley, even as weather officials predicted gradual improvement later in the day, as per a separate PTI report.
Popular resorts such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, along with areas including Gurez, Razdan Top, Zojila Pass and parts of Kupwara, received overnight snow that continued into Thursday morning, attracting tourists. Despite the snowfall, the valley is experiencing an unusually warm winter, with night temperatures staying above freezing at most locations and remaining 1.2 to 6.3 degrees Celsius higher than normal.
Darjeeling sees snow, fog
Meanwhile, West Bengal recorded widespread chill, particularly in its sub-Himalayan districts, where temperatures plunged further, and light rain or snowfall was forecast in higher elevations like Darjeeling. Fog is expected to linger across the state during morning hours for several days, the IMD forecasted.
On a national scale, the IMD warned that dense to very dense fog, cold wave conditions, and cold days are likely to affect multiple states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and parts of central and eastern India in the coming days. While minimum temperatures may briefly rise, another drop is expected as cold northerly winds strengthen across the northern plains.
As winter deepens, authorities continue to urge caution, particularly during early morning and late-night travel.
(With PTI inputs)
