Cold wave grips Delhi-NCR: Gurugram dips below 1°C, Delhi records 2.9°C amid dense fog

With temperatures sinking further, Delhi-NCR endured another harsh winter morning on Thursday. Gurugram slipped into sub-zero territory with the mercury dipping below 1 degree Celsius, while Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius, as dense fog and biting cold tightened their grip across the region.

Large parts of the national capital and surrounding areas woke up to a thick blanket of fog, with visuals from multiple locations showing near-zero visibility during early morning hours.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its district-level nowcast, warned of moderate to dense fog over Delhi for the next two hours, cautioning that visibility at several places could fall below 50 metres. Authorities said fog conditions were likely to intensify after 7 am, potentially disrupting road, rail and air traffic.

AQI remains very poor

Air quality remained a major concern, with Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 356, firmly in the very poor category. Data from monitoring stations across the city showed widespread pollution stress, with most areas reporting AQI values above 300.

Stations such as Chandni Chowk (404), Nehru Nagar (402), Pusa (401), Jahangirpuri (397), Vivek Vihar (397), Rohini (393), Wazirpur (393) and Punjabi Bagh (392) recorded extremely poor air quality. Other locations including Dwarka Sector 8 (388), ITO (386), Patparganj (386), Okhla Phase-2 (384), Ashok Vihar (382), RK Puram (382) and Siri Fort (382) also remained deep in the red zone.

The impact of dense fog extended beyond Delhi, affecting western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Gautam Buddh Nagar reported reduced visibility, prompting authorities to urge commuters to exercise caution.

IMD warns

The IMD said cold wave conditions are very likely to persist over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha for the next two days.

At the national capital’s airport, authorities issued a passenger advisory warning of possible flight delays due to CAT III conditions. The airport said flight operations were continuing under low-visibility procedures and advised travellers to check with airlines for updates.

IndiGo also issued a travel advisory, cautioning that poor visibility due to fog in parts of northern India, including Delhi, could have a cascading impact on flight operations across its network. The airline said it had taken steps to minimise inconvenience and assured passengers of support in case of delays, diversions or cancellations.