The national capital ushered in 2025 with cold weather and polluted air. On Wednesday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 239 at 8 am, placing it in the “poor” category, while the minimum temperature dipped to 7.4°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Delhi experienced cold day conditions for the third consecutive day. The minimum temperature was recorded at 7.4°C at Safdarjung and 7°C at Palam. A “cold day” is declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10°C, while a “cold wave” occurs when the mercury drops below 4°C.

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The maximum temperature in the city was 15°C at Safdarjung and 12.8°C at Palam, IMD reported.

The weather department predicts dense fog and cold day conditions will persist across parts of northwest and central India for the next two days, with conditions likely to improve thereafter. A wet spell is also expected over the Western Himalayan Region during the coming week and over the plains of northwest India on January 5–6.

Low visibility due to dense fog reduced the minimum visibility at Palam airport to 100 meters at 5:30 a.m. However, no flight delays were reported, as most flights are equipped with CAT III systems that enable safe landings during poor visibility.

Meanwhile, rail services were affected, with at least 22 trains running behind schedule due to the foggy conditions. These included one Rajdhani-class train, several Humsafar and Superfast trains, and other mail and express services, according to a railway official.