Delhi records its coldest December day in six years

New Delhi: Delhi recorded its coldest December day in six years on Wednesday, ending 2025 on a biting note as the maximum temperature plunged to 14.2 degrees Celsius.

Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that the last time the city recorded a lower maximum temperature was on December 31 in 2019, when the day's maximum had dipped to 9.4 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded at 14.2 degrees Celsius, about 6.2 notches below normal, the lowest this season, while the minimum temperature settled at 6.4 degrees Celsius, around 0.4 notches below the seasonal average.

The second-lowest maximum temperature this December was recorded on December 20, when it fell to 16.9 degrees Celsius, followed by December 19, while the third-lowest was on December 21, when the maximum settled at 18.1 degrees Celsius.

"A cold day is declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature remains about 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal," an IMD official said.

"Cold day conditions are expected to continue on New Year's Day as well. There is a slight chance of very light and isolated rain over Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) between Wednesday night and Thursday due to an induced cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana," said Mahesh Palawat of Skymet.

From January 3 onwards, colder conditions may develop as minimum temperatures could drop further, with cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region expected to move towards the national capital, he added.

The weather office said shallow fog was observed in parts of the city during the evening hours. According to the IMD, Palam recorded visibility of around 600 metres, while Safdarjung reported visibility of about 800 metres between 8.30 pm and 9 pm.