Bone-Chilling Cold Grips North India: Delhi Nears 0°C as IMD Sounds Yellow Alert

Cold wave conditions tighten grip across North India as the IMD flags dense fog, near-zero temperatures and a Yellow alert for Delhi and adjoining NCR on 15 January, while hilly states prepare for heavy snowfall later this month and parts of South India await Northeast monsoon showers within three days, according to the latest IMD forecast.

Delhi wakes to another harsh morning, with the IMD predicting that the minimum temperature may fall to 3 degrees Celsius on Thursday and warning that strong winds will make parts of the city feel close to 0°C, even as daytime readings stay relatively higher.

Delhi weather warning and cold wave IMD forecast

The weather department has placed Delhi under a Yellow alert for dense fog in the early hours of Thursday, stating that maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius, while skies should stay clear with light mist forming at night as visibility drops.

From Friday, the IMD expects a slight relief in night temperatures for the national capital, with minimum values climbing to between 6°C and 10°C and daytime maximums forecast to reach 22°C to 25°C by 20 January, although the chill will linger due to persistent cold winds.

North India cold wave weather warning IMD forecast

Biting cold has intensified over wide stretches of North India, with Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kashmir reporting near-freezing conditions and dense fog in several pockets, while the IMD forecasts that cold wave and dense fog will continue over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi subdivisions on 15 January.

According to the IMD, “cold wave conditions are declared when minimum temperatures fall between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees below normal,” and the department says the maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to stay close to 20 degrees Celsius during this ongoing spell.

Severe cold wave conditions are likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for the next two days, with the IMD cautioning that many of these areas will see persistent fog and a further drop in comfort levels.

#WATCH | Delhi: A thick layer of fog engulfs the national capital. Visuals from Moti Bagh. pic.twitter.com/Db74gScuYO — ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2026

Western disturbance weather warning and IMD cold wave forecast

The IMD says a fresh Western Disturbance is approaching on 15 January, and this system is expected to bring heavy snowfall over several hilly states between 15 and 30 January, which, in turn, will reinforce the cold wave sweeping large parts of northern India.

Cloud cover linked to this Western Disturbance is likely to spread across northern hills by Friday, bringing rain and snow to Jammu, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, with the same system then pushing showers into parts of Punjab and Haryana as it moves eastwards.

Below is a summary of the IMD’s key temperature forecast for Delhi over the coming days:

Date / Period	Forecast Minimum	Forecast Maximum
15 January	3°C	20–22°C
From 16 January (nighttime trend)	6–10°C	—
By 20 January (daytime trend)	—	22–25°C

South India rainfall weather warning and IMD forecast

While the North faces a severe cold wave, the IMD notes that the Northeast monsoon is expected over some southern states within the next three days, with rainfall likely in parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh as seasonal winds strengthen over the region.

With cold wave conditions forecast to continue over many northern states, fresh snowfall predicted in the hills until 30 January and Northeast monsoon showers due in sections of South India, the IMD outlook points to a sharp contrast in weather patterns across the country during this period.

Credit: Oneindia