As India ushered in the New Year 2026, a severe cold wave gripped multiple states, including Delhi and Punjab. Meanwhile, Mumbai witnessed some rain.
India stepped into the New Year under an intense spell of winter, with large parts of the country witnessing cold wave conditions, dense fog, and sharply dipping temperatures, according to national and regional reports by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The India Meteorological Department warned of below-average temperatures and dense fog affecting visibility and travel across multiple states.
While Mumbai witnessed some early morning showers on the first day of the New Year 2026, Delhi saw its coldest December day in six years on New Year’s eve. A similar cold wave spell gripped Rajasthan too, and schools were closed in Assam’s Guwahati due to a sharp fall in daytime temperatures.
Light snow in higher reaches of Himachal brought cheer to tourists, locals
Delhi saw coldest December day in six years
In the national capital, Delhi experienced its harshest December day in six years on Wednesday, December 31, as daytime temperatures struggled to rise, settling well below seasonal norms, marking an unusually cold end to 2025. Weather officials noted that such “cold day” conditions occur when both daytime and night-time temperatures remain significantly lower than average, a trend expected to persist into early January, as per IMD. Shallow fog also reduced visibility across several parts of the city during evening hours, affecting travel conditions.
Jharkhand temperatures dip to 4 degrees Celsius
Eastern India also remained in the grip of severe winter weather. Jharkhand faced dense fog warnings, with visibility dropping to dangerously low levels in several districts, while temperatures in some locations dipped close to 4 degrees Celsius, said an IMD bulletin. Meteorologists attributed these conditions to persistent north-westerly winds dominating the lower atmosphere.
Schools closed in Assam’s Guwahati
as it saw such a sharp fall in daytime temperatures which prompted the authorities to order a week-long closure of schools to safeguard children’s health. Cloudy skies, intermittent drizzle, and cold air created difficult living conditions, prompting residents to rely on wood fires and heavy winter clothing.
Mumbai’s Walkeshwar and Lower Parel areas saw light showers, that brought down pollution levels, as per news .
Rajasthan witnessed single-digit minimum temperatures and continued to witness sharp night-time chills, with Karauli emerging as the coldest spot in the state as temperatures dropped close to the season’s lowest levels, reflecting the growing intensity of winter across the desert state, a PTI report stated. Several towns across eastern and northern Rajasthan reported single-digit minimum temperatures, while Jaipur and Jodhpur also experienced noticeably colder nights than usual. Dense to very dense fog is also expected to blanket large stretches of northern, western and eastern Rajasthan between January 1 and 3, potentially impacting road and rail movement.
Pune recorded coldest December in a decade as minimum temperatures dipped sharply
Punjab residents stayed indoors amid biting cold
as cold conditions tightened their grip over Punjab as well, as winter nights remained biting across the state, with several cities recording low temperatures hovering in the mid-single digits, keeping residents indoors during early morning and late-night hours, said a PTI report. Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala experienced chilly starts to the day, while pockets such as Gurdaspur and Faridkot reported even lower minimum temperatures, indicating uneven but widespread cold stress across the region. The joint capital Chandigarh also felt the winter chill, mirroring conditions in adjoining parts of Haryana where places like Rohtak and Narnaul recorded some of the lowest temperatures in the region, the report added.
Darjeeling was a witness to snow, fog
Meanwhile, West Bengal recorded widespread chill, particularly in its sub-Himalayan districts, where temperatures plunged further, and light rain or snowfall was forecast in higher elevations like Darjeeling. Fog is expected to linger across the state during morning hours for several days, the IMD forecasted.
On a national scale, the IMD warned that dense to very dense fog, cold wave conditions, and cold days are likely to affect multiple states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and parts of central and eastern India in the coming days. While minimum temperatures may briefly rise, another drop is expected as cold northerly winds strengthen across the northern plains.
As winter deepens, authorities continue to urge caution, particularly during early morning and late-night travel.
News Edit KV Raman
