Delhi is basically an icebox today. As of Monday, January 12, 2026, the city just recorded its coldest morning in three years, with the mercury bottoming out at 3°C.
The thing is, if you felt like you were breathing in a freezer this morning, you weren’t far off. Safdarjung, our main weather station, hit 3.2°C, which is nearly 4 degrees below what’s “normal” for this time of year. Or nothing. Let’s be real, even with the sun out, that bone-chilling wind isn’t going anywhere. Those too.
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The “Delhi Shiver” Log: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where the IMD has issued an Orange Alert, and they aren’t expecting a warmup anytime soon.
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The Record Drop: We haven’t seen it this cold in January since 2023. Lodhi Road actually hit the 3°C mark dead-on, while Palam and Ayanagar were hovering right there with it. The thing is, on Jan 16, 2023, it hit 1.4°C—so we aren’t at an all-time low yet, but we’re getting uncomfortably close.
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The School Situation: Most schools in Delhi are currently closed until January 15 as part of the winter break. And here’s the kicker—there’s already chatter about extending it if this cold wave doesn’t break by Thursday.
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The Air Quality Catch-22: Usually, wind helps clear the smog. The thing is, right now, the cold air is “trapping” the pollutants close to the ground. The AQI is sitting at 298 (Poor), but some areas like Nehru Nagar are already in the ‘Very Poor’ (344) zone.
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Transport Chaos: Dense fog has been messing with the IGI Airport schedules all morning. It’s an ongoing situation where CAT III landing procedures were triggered, meaning if your flight isn’t delayed, you’re one of the lucky ones.
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Delhi 5-Day Outlook: Jan 12–16, 2026
| Date | Min Temp (Est.) | Weather Condition |
| Jan 12 (Today) | 3°C | Severe Cold Wave; Clear Sky. |
| Jan 13 (Tue) | 3°C – 5°C | Cold Wave continues; Shallow Fog. |
| Jan 14 (Wed) | 4°C – 6°C | Isolated Cold Wave; Partly Cloudy. |
| Jan 15 (Thu) | 6°C – 8°C | Gradual rise; Schools might reopen? |
| Jan 16 (Fri) | 8°C+ | Significant relief expected. |
And Here’s the Kicker…
The IMD says the cold wave will persist for at least another 48 hours. The thing is, the “RealFeel” temperature is much lower because of the 10-15 kmph northwesterly winds coming straight from the snow-clad Himalayas. And then there’s the power grid—with everyone cranking up their heaters, there have already been reports of minor “tripping” in older neighborhoods.
It’s an ongoing situation where the homeless shelters are at 100% capacity. If you’re heading out, layer up. The “sunny” afternoon is only going to hit 19°C, and as soon as that sun dips at 5:40 PM, the temperature is going to plummet back toward the single digits.
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End…
