Cold breaks 60 year old record, IMD issues alert as temperature falls to 0.6°C, next two days….
Gurugram residents woke up to a nail-biting cold on Monday, January 12, 2026, as the temperature dropped to a near-freezing 0.6°C. The record-low temperature is unmatched in nearly six decades, which made the city experience conditions colder than most popular Himalayan hill stations.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature matched the minimum of 0.6 degrees Celsius last recorded on January 22, 1977. Gurugram’s AWS has seen temperatures below 0.6°C three times in the past: 0.4°C (Dec 5, 1966), 0°C (Jan 11, 1970), and 0.3°C (Jan 22, 1979). The piercing drop in temperatures is attributed to northwesterly winds and mainly clear night skies.
IMD issues orange alert
In light of the near-freezing temperatures, the IMD has sounded an orange alert for Gurugram until January 13, 2026, with mostly dry conditions and no immediate relief this week. “The weather is likely to remain dry until Friday this week, with no expectations of rain in the region,” HT quoted a senior official as saying.
Advisory warns of increased health risks, the next two days…
The severity of the cold was on full display in the city’s outskirts, where the crops, grasslands, and car windshields were blanketed with a layer of frost during the early hours. Amid this, the IMD issued detailed advisories, warning of increased health risks, particularly for the elderly, children, and people with respiratory conditions, for the next two days.
The advisory also warns of reduced visibility due to dense fog during early morning or night hours, causing significant traffic disruptions.
Delhi Weather Update
Delhi will see a mainly clear sky on Tuesday, January 13, with cold wave conditions at a few places. An orange alert is in place today for shallow to moderate fog at many places during the morning hours. Mainly clear sky along with shallow to moderate fog is also expected over the capital on January 14. Thereafter, until the 18th, skies will mostly remain partly cloudy, with shallow to moderate fog continuing to blanket the city.
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