Gurgaon freezes at 0.6°C: What’s behind the bone-chilling cold?

Officials pointed out that factors such as soil type, pollution levels, vegetation, and the precise location of an AWS can significantly affect readings. While special checks are carried out to rule out calibration of instrument errors, these are typically triggered only when very wide variations are observed.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president for Meteorology and Climate Change at Skymet Weather, said the reading of 0.6 degrees Celsius was unusual, particularly as cities that are generally colder reported minimum temperatures above 1 degree Celsius.

Another IMD official said micro-level variations within cities are common, citing examples from the National Capital Region. On the same night, the Gurgaon station recorded a temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Aya Nagar station logged close to 3 degrees Celsius. Similar differences are often seen between stations such as Safdarjung and Palam in Delhi, the official added.

How did Delhi fare?

The national capital, too, woke up to intense cold conditions as the minimum temperature dipped to around 3 degrees Celsius at several weather stations, making it the coldest January day since 2023.

Delhi last saw such low night temperatures on January 16, 2023. According to the IMD, the minimum had plunged to 1.4 degrees Celsius that day.

Station-wise data recorded at 8.30 am showed that the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s principal weather station, registered a minimum temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius — 4.2 notches below normal.

The maximum temperature, meanwhile, was recorded at 20.6 degrees Celsius, the IMD data showed.

Is January particularly cold this winter?

According to IMD officials, January is climatologically the coldest time of the year for North India.

But behind the chill now is a Western Disturbance that affected the Himalayan region on January 8 and 9. This led to heavy snowfall, following which northwesterly winds have been advecting or transporting colder air from the Himalayas into the plains.

Krishna Mishra, a senior IMD official, said such synoptic conditions are conducive to sharp temperature drops in the region during mid-January.

Shimla was warmer. How?

Senior IMD scientist R K Jenamani said hill stations such as Shimla recorded higher minimum temperatures, around 8 degrees Celsius, due to cloud cover associated with a low-intensity western disturbance. “Clouds tend to trap heat at night, leading to relatively warmer conditions in hilly regions compared to the plains,” he added.

What’s on the forecast for the city?

The IMD has issued an orange alert on Tuesday for cold day conditions at isolated places. Cold wave conditions are likely to persist over the Capital over the next two days, it added.

Delhi air quality, meanwhile, remained in the poor category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 297, up from Sunday’s 291.