Delhi NCR Weather: IMD Forecasts Fog, Cooler Days; No Rain Alert

Delhi and its adjoining areas woke up to clear skies on Saturday morning after a fresh spell of widespread rainfall a day earlier brought down temperatures and offered brief relief from pollution levels across the region.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi-NCR is likely to see a generally cloudy sky on Saturday, with shallow to moderate morning fog and strong surface winds of 10–20 kmph. No rain warning has been issued for the day, and the weather department has not announced any alert for Delhi over the next six days.

Temperatures to fall further

Weather officials have forecast a drop in minimum temperatures by 5–6 degrees Celsius over the next three days, followed by a gradual rise. The IMD said cold northwesterly winds are expected to return between Saturday and Monday, leading to cooler nights.

On January 23, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 12°C and a maximum of 19°C. A sharper fall is forecast on January 24, with temperatures expected to range between 7°C and 17°C.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said cold northwesterly winds will return due to fresh snowfall in the mountains, though their impact is expected to be limited.

“Another western disturbance is likely from January 26, so northwesterly winds will persist for only about two days. While minimum temperatures will dip, a sharp fall is unlikely and coldwave conditions are not expected,” he said.

According to official data, Delhi recorded 19.8 mm of rainfall, the highest single-day January rainfall in the past three years. The last comparable spell was on January 30, 2023, when the city received 20.3 mm.

Air quality improves marginally

Rainfall helped improve air quality slightly, though it remained in the “poor” category. At 7:05 am on Saturday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index stood at 264, according to CPCB’s Sameer app.

The Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said air quality is likely to remain “poor” from January 24 to 26, with the outlook for the following six days indicating conditions could range from “poor” to “very poor.”

Gurugram under orange alert

Gurugram recorded around 12 mm of rainfall between 8 am and 5 pm on Friday. The IMD upgraded its alert from “yellow” to “orange” until Saturday noon, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by hail, lightning and very strong winds of 40–60 kmph at isolated locations.

Residents were advised to remain indoors and take shelter in safe buildings due to the risk of flying debris.

A “yellow” alert has also been extended to southern Haryana districts, including Gurugram, until Sunday because of the likelihood of dense fog and dust storms, the IMD said.

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