People in Delhi got a slight respite from bone-chilling temperatures after a five-day cold wave spell, with the city recording a minimum temperature of 4.3°C on Friday (January 16, 2026), around two notches up from a day earlier.

However, temperatures remained well below normal.

Safdarjung station’s 4.3°C was 3.3 notches below the normal. Palam recorded a minimum of 4.7°C, 2.8 notches below normal, while Lodhi Road logged 4.7°C, 1.3 notches below normal.

The Ridge station recorded a relatively higher minimum of 6°C, though it was still 3.5 notches below normal, and Ayanagar reported 4.3°C.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is expected to settle around 22°C.

On Thursday, Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 2.9°C, the lowest January minimum since 2023. Palam had recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3°C on Wednesday (January 14, 2026), its lowest since 2010.

Meanwhile, air quality in the national capital remained in the very poor category.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 348, with 33 stations recording ‘very poor’ air quality, four stations in the ‘poor’ category and one station in the ‘severe’ range. Pusa recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 403.