Delhi begins December on a chilly note; IMD sounds yellow alert for cold wave

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, cautioning that cold wave conditions are likely to continue over the coming days.

December began on an unusually frigid note on Monday as the minimum temperature fell to 5.7°C in national capital — about five degrees below the normal average for this time of year, News18 reported.

According to the IMD, this marks the lowest minimum temperature recorded in the first week of December in at least 14 years, indicating a potentially harsher winter season ahead.

The ongoing cold spell is expected to persist, with the possibility of coldwave conditions in isolated areas of the Capital until December 5.

As per the report, at Safdarjung, the city's reference station, the minimum temperature settled at 5.7°C, while Lodhi Road registered 5.8°C and Ayanagar 6.5°C. The mercury has plunged steadily over the past three days — from 10.4°C on Saturday to 8.3°C on Sunday — before dipping further on Monday. IMD officials anticipate a slight rise on Tuesday, with minimum temperatures likely to vary between 5°C and 9°C throughout the week.

Winter arrives early in Delhi

A coldwave is declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10°C and is also at least 4.5°C below normal, with this threshold met at two or more stations for two consecutive days.

As per the report, although several locations in the Haryana–Chandigarh–Delhi subdivision met the threshold for coldwave conditions on Monday, the IMD did not issue an alert, noting that the criteria must be satisfied for a second consecutive day.

Coldwave spells usually appear later in December for Delhi; in recent years, the earliest occurred on 19 December 2020. Early-December temperature drops of this magnitude are uncommon — the city’s record lowest minimum for December remains 0°C, logged on 27 December 1930.

Meteorologists attributed the sharp temperature dip to strong northwesterly winds set off by a recent western disturbance. Private forecaster Ashwary Tiwari said icy winds from the western Himalayas have pushed night temperatures down across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, with several places recording minimums below 5°C.