NEW DELHI — Residents of the national capital marked the 77th Republic Day under the grip of a severe chill, as temperatures plummeted to the lowest levels seen for the occasion in half a decade. According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the mercury dipped significantly, making it the coldest January 26 since 2021.
The Safdarjung observatory, which serves as the official marker for the city’s weather, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees Celsius—four notches below the seasonal average. This sharp decline follows a weekend of icy winds and clear skies. For comparison, the minimum temperature on Republic Day in 2021 was a bone-chilling 2.1 degrees Celsius, while recent years had seen relatively milder conditions.
Weather officials attributed the freezing morning to persistent northwesterly winds blowing from the Himalayas. However, the meteorological landscape is shifting. The IMD has issued a “yellow alert” for Tuesday, predicting a change in weather patterns caused by an intense western disturbance. This system is expected to bring light to moderate rainfall, potential thunderstorms, and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour to Delhi and its neighboring regions.
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While the rain may provide some relief from the “poor” air quality—with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering around 281—it is also expected to bring a surge in humidity and persistent cloud cover. Forecasters indicate that while the minimum temperature may rise slightly due to the clouds, the maximum temperature is likely to stay suppressed near 19 degrees Celsius.
Looking ahead, the IMD suggests that the rain will likely be followed by dense fog on Wednesday and Thursday, potentially impacting visibility during the early morning hours. As the western disturbance moves across northwest India, the capital remains on alert for a wet and turbulent transition following its historic cold snap.
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