Gurugram Records 0.8°C as Cold Wave Continues to Grip NCR
Gurugram shivered on Wednesday as the city recorded a minimum temperature of 0.8°C, making it one of the coldest places in North India, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This comes just days after the city hit 0.6°C on Monday, its lowest temperature in nearly five decades and colder than several Himalayan hill stations. IMD’s automatic weather station noted that Monday’s reading matched Gurugram’s January 22, 1977 low. Historically, the city has recorded temperatures below 0°C only three times: –0.4°C on December 5, 1966, 0°C on January 11, 1970, and 0.3°C on January 22, 1979.
Plains Colder Than Hills
The cold wave has affected much of the National Capital Region and northwest India. Delhi’s Safdarjung station recorded 3.8°C on Wednesday, while other plains also experienced near-freezing conditions. In contrast, hill stations were warmer, with Mussoorie at 7.7°C and Shimla at 8.8°C.
IMD director general M. Mohapatra explained that cloud cover over the hills, caused by an active western disturbance, trapped heat at night, keeping temperatures higher. Meanwhile, clear skies and persistent cold northwesterly winds over the plains allowed strong radiative cooling, pushing temperatures sharply lower.
Frost, Fog, and Hazardous Conditions
The intense cold left visible frost on crops, grasslands, and vehicle windshields across Gurugram and its outskirts.
Jeeva Thavasiraj, a 22-year-old site engineer from Sector 66, said, “I come from Tamil Nadu and have never experienced this kind of cold. Even with heavy safety shoes, our feet become numb.”
Sunita Devi, a daily commuter from Sohna, described travel conditions as risky due to dense fog and frost. “There was frost on our bus’s windshield and on crops. Elevated roads had very poor visibility, and vehicles had to move slowly,” she said.
