The BRICS TimesWeather Alert: Rain continues in the hills; IMD issues warnings for plains across North India on the first day of the new year.
The weather across India is noticeably shifting on New Year’s Day. An active Western Disturbance in the mountains triggered rain. High-altitude areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Leh, and Jammu & Kashmir saw precipitation. Rain also occurred in some adjoining plain areas.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts rain today (January 1) in parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh will experience partially cloudy skies. Light to moderate rain is also expected in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Rain Expected in Delhi
The capital Delhi and surrounding regions are still battling intense cold. The entire National Capital Region (NCR) was covered in a blanket of fog on Wednesday. The IMD forecasts a minimum temperature of 6 degree Celsius today. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 22 degree Celsius. The weather office suggests cloudy conditions and possible light rain in Delhi today. If it rains, a slight improvement in air quality is anticipated. According to the CPCB, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is near 390 or 400. This AQI reading is categorized as very poor.
Uttar Pradesh Weather Update
Bone-chilling cold continues to severely grip Uttar Pradesh. Today, Thursday (January 1, 2026), several districts may see rain, along with fog and a cold wave. The weather department expects a slight jump in maximum temperatures over the next two days. However, this small increase will not offer much relief from the cold for UP residents. Passengers at railway stations and airports face major difficulties due to persistent fog.
IMD predicts that ‘Cold Day’ conditions and fog will impact many districts in Eastern and Western UP on January 1. Western UP districts may experience light drizzle today. The weather office states that light rain is possible in Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Shamli, Aligarh, Sambhal, Rampur, Muzaffarnagar, and Bijnor today.
Fog Warning for Districts
Varanasi, Prayagraj, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Deoria, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Santkabirnagar, Siddharthnagar, Gonda, Basti, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Auraiya, and Agra will wake up to a blanket of fog on Thursday morning. However, the sun may break through in some areas as the day progresses.
Bihar Weather Conditions
Life in Bihar is badly affected by the cold wave and dense fog. The weather department reports ‘cold wave-like’ conditions persist in many areas. This causes significant inconvenience for the general public. An ‘Orange Alert’ for dense fog and cold wave was issued for about 25 districts on Wednesday. Minimum temperatures may slightly drop in several districts, including Patna, Gaya, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Supaul, Araria, Darbhanga, Nalanda, Nawada, Bhagalpur, Kishanganj, Madhubani, and Hajipur. This could intensify the winter chill starting the New Year.
