What’s the weather today: Why is Delhi heading into a cooler, foggy spell this week; rain and snow likely in western Himalayas

The National Capital Region, including Delhi, is expected to see a gradual fall in temperatures along with morning fog in the coming week as the atmospheric conditions in north India start impacting the region’s weather. As per the India Meteorological Department, western disturbances and their associated cyclonic circulations will have a major influence on the weather in the national capital and its surrounding areas from February 2.The IMD has indicated that minimum temperatures will remain largely steady over the next 24 hours, after which a decline of 2–4 degrees Celsius is expected. Maximum temperatures, which have remained relatively comfortable in recent days, are forecast to fall below normal after the next two days, signalling a shift toward cooler daytime conditions. During this time, the sky above Delhi will remain partly cloudy, becoming generally cloudy on February 2, before clearing up later in the week. Among the most pressing weather concerns for residents of Delhi and the NCR region in the coming days is the presence of shallow to moderate fog, especially during the late night and early morning hours. The IMD has issued an alert that the foggy conditions are likely to persist for at least six days, which may impact the visibility of the region.Over the past 24 hours, light rain accompanied by thunderstorms was recorded at several locations in and around Delhi. The fog that has been present in the region has resulted in reduced visibility of up to 500 meters in some areas. Similar conditions are expected to prevail intermittently through the week, especially during early morning hours when temperatures drop and moisture levels remain high.The IMD has noted that weather conditions are likely to remain largely uniform across all districts of Delhi, as well as adjoining NCR cities including Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. Importantly, no severe weather warnings have been issued for the capital region during this period.On a larger scale, IMD analysis indicates that a feeble western disturbance is likely to affect the higher reaches of the Himalayan region from the night of February 2. This system is expected to bring isolated to scattered rainfall and snowfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, across Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh between February 2 and February 3. In addition, isolated thunderstorms with lightning are forecast over Uttarakhand, east Rajasthan, east Uttar Pradesh and parts of central Maharashtra on February 2. During the same period, isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, indicating that the influence of the system will extend well beyond the Himalayan belt.By February 4, rainfall activity is expected to reduce significantly, with largely dry weather across the plains and only residual cloudiness lingering over northern regions. From February 5 to February 7, weather conditions are expected to remain mostly dry across much of the country, though isolated precipitation may occur over parts of the Western Himalayan Region due to the arrival of another fresh western disturbance from the night of February 5.Fog remains the primary weather hazard highlighted by the IMD during this period. From February 2 onwards, dense fog is likely at isolated places across several states and regions. For Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, dense fog conditions are expected to persist till February 4, while Punjab and West Uttar Pradesh may continue to experience fog till February 5.The IMD has also pointed out east Rajasthan as a foggy area on February 3-5, while sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are expected to experience dense fog till February 3. The fog is likely to occur during night and early morning hours, which may affect road, rail, and air transport services.From February 2 onwards, minimum temperatures across northwest India are expected to show a gradual fall of 2–4 degrees Celsius over the next three days, after which temperatures are likely to stabilise with no significant further change. Over Uttar Pradesh, minimum temperatures may briefly rise before falling again after February 2, in line with changing wind patterns and cloud cover. However, despite the cooling trend, the IMD has not yet issued any cold wave warnings for the plains during the current forecast period, which indicates that while nights are likely to become colder, the situation is likely to remain under control.Given the forecast, people in Delhi and NCR have been advised to exercise caution, especially during early morning hours when fog is likely to be at its thickest. This may cause visibility problems, which could be hazardous for commuters, especially on highways and major roads.Motorists have been advised to reduce speed, maintain a safe distance between vehicles, and use fog lights if necessary. Air and train passengers have been advised to check their schedules in advance, as delays due to fog are not ruled out. Since light winds and cloudy skies are likely to continue, and no immediate danger from extreme weather conditions has been indicated for the national capital, the IMD has asked people to continue to monitor official forecasts and advisories for the latest updates as weather conditions unfold during the course of the week.