A sharp and early cold spell is sweeping across India, pushing temperatures well below seasonal averages and making mid-November feel like deep winter. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), minimum temperatures across large parts of the country have been consistently 2°C to 6°C below normal throughout the month, with the chill expected to persist in the coming days.
Delhi is experiencing one of its coldest starts to winter in over a decade. The national capital, already battling hazardous air quality, recorded its earliest single-digit minimum temperature in 11 years, with the mercury dropping below 10°C every day since November 15. On Monday, Delhi logged a minimum of 8.7°C — 3.6°C below normal and the coldest November reading in three years. Most parts of the city saw nighttime temperatures between 9°C and 11°C, while daytime highs hovered around 24°C to 26°C.
Though there was a slight rise of about one degree over the past 24 hours, the IMD says temperatures remain “appreciably below normal.” Forecasts indicate shallow to moderate fog on Wednesday and clear skies with morning fog through November 24. Private weather forecasters expect further drops in temperature once light rain arrives in the coming days.
The cold wave is not restricted to northern India. Mumbai recorded an unusually chilly morning at 17.4°C, nearly 4°C below normal for this time of the month and even colder than the previous day’s 17.8°C. Central Maharashtra and western Madhya Pradesh have already slipped into cold wave to severe cold wave conditions, with minimum temperatures up to five degrees below normal. Pockets of Saurashtra and Kutch, Vidarbha, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha have also reported significantly colder nights.
The IMD expects a brief warm-up, with minimum temperatures rising by 2°C to 3°C over northwest and east India over the next four days, before stabilising again.
In eastern India, shallow to moderate fog is expected in all districts of West Bengal from now until November 21, likely to cause visibility issues despite slightly warmer nights. The region will otherwise remain dry over the next week.
Southern states, meanwhile, are preparing for a rainy spell. Heavy showers have been forecast over Tamil Nadu until November 24, with continued rainfall over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are expected across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mahe, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Rayalaseema through the rest of the week.
With widespread fog, rain, and a strengthening cold wave ahead, weather conditions across India are set to remain unsettled as winter arrives earlier and more sharply than usual.
