Cold wave conditions persisted in Gurugram on Friday as temperatures plunged sharply, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recording a minimum of 1.8°C at 5.30am. The reading marked a drop of 3.5°C below normal compared to Thursday.
The city woke up to a hazy morning, though visibility improved slightly to around 900 metres in the outskirts by 8.30am.
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Despite the steep dip in mercury, the IMD’s extended-range forecast issued on Thursday indicated that minimum temperatures in Gurugram are likely to remain between 4°C and 6°C until January 22, while maximum temperatures are expected to range from 22°C to 24°C. On Thursday, the district recorded a maximum temperature of 18.2°C.
Meteorological officials said variable winds prevailed at around 4kmph through Thursday night and Friday morning. “The dry weather spell will continue in the district until January 17.
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However, a fresh Western Disturbance, seen as a trough in the middle and upper tropospheric westerlies with its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level running roughly along longitude 45°E north of latitude 23°N, may affect overall conditions in the state,” a senior IMD official said.
The IMD’s latest weekly weather report for the state forecast no significant change in minimum temperatures until Friday, followed by a rise of 3-5 degrees over the next four days. “Another fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 19, 2026,” the report said.
Amid the cold conditions, Gurugram’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday morning. At 9am, the Central Pollution Control Board’s ‘Sameer’ app recorded the air quality index (AQI) at 346. All four active air quality monitoring stations in the district hovered between 320 and 370 during the period.