New Delhi: Delhiites woke up to fog and deteriorating air quality on Friday morning, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of a fresh western disturbance likely to impact northwest India from February 2. Weather experts said the presence of a subtropical westerly jet stream over northeast India could intensify the system and influence regional weather conditions.

According to the IMD, Delhi is expected to witness generally cloudy skies on January 30, with light fog in several areas and moderate fog at isolated locations during the morning hours. The department has forecast minimum temperatures to range between 9 degrees C and 11 degrees C, while maximum temperatures are likely to hover between 18 degrees C and 20 degrees C. The minimum temperature isexpected to remain above normal by 1.6 degrees C to 3 degrees C, whereas the maximum temperature may stay significantly below average by 3 degrees C to 5 degrees C.

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— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) January 29, 2026

Data from various monitoring stations across the capital indicated that daytime temperatures remained below normal on Thursday, with Palam recording the sharpest dip. At Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather observatory, the minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees C, while the maximum settled at 18.4 degrees C.

The weather department has predicted a further drop of 3 degrees C to 4 degrees C in minimum temperatures over the next two days, followed by a rise of 5 degrees C to 7 degrees C thereafter. In view of the expected weather activity, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for January 31 and February 1.

Poor air quality

Delhi also reported poor air quality on Friday morning. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 231 at 6 am, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. Officials said recent rainfall helped bring some improvement in pollution levels, though conditions remained unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Flight operations normal

Passenger Advisory issued at 06:00 hrs.

Please click on this link for real-time winter travel updates: https://t.co/1grW9nhXpJ#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/80qNpTR6ZL

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 30, 2026

Foggy conditions also impacted visibility at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, where visibility was reduced to 800 metres around 6 am. The Delhi airport issued an advisory for passengers, stating that low-visibility procedures were in place but flight operations were continuing as scheduled.