Gurugram freezing at minus 0.9°C? Man records sub-zero temp on his device, claims ‘massive frost, ice on ground’

As north India reels under a harsh cold wave, a weather enthusiast on Tuesday recorded sub-zero temperature in Haryana's Gurugram on his device, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) readings - at three degrees Celsius - contrasted the same.

Weather watcher Navdeep Dahiya posted on X (formerly Twitter) that there was “massive ground frost and ice” in Gurugram’s suburbs for the second consecutive morning, claiming a minimum of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius.

“More areas in Delhi NCR experienced similar ground frost,” he wrote on Tuesday, sharing visuals of ice and frost.

The claim comes a day after Gurugram recorded a historic low of 0.6 degrees Celsius on Monday, the coldest the city has seen in nearly five decades.

However, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed Gurugram’s minimum temperature at 3.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, indicating that while conditions remained bitterly cold, the city was no longer officially in sub-zero territory.

The severe chill extended across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum of 2.8 degrees Celsius, its lowest in nine years.

In Punjab, Ballowal Saunkhri in SBS Nagar touched 0 degrees Celsius, while Bathinda logged 1.6 degrees and Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar reported 2.6, 3 and 4.1 degrees Celsius respectively. Haryana’s Hisar and Narnaul dipped to 1.5 and 1.8 degrees Celsius.

Delhi also remained under cold-wave conditions for the second consecutive day. The city’s minimum temperature settled at 3 degrees Celsius, more than four notches below normal, making it the coldest January day in the capital since 2023.

Several stations, including Safdarjung, Palam and Lodhi Road, reported minimums close to 3 degrees Celsius, while dense fog and chilly winds kept daytime temperatures subdued.

The cold has been severe enough to produce ground frost across parts of Gurugram and the wider National Capital Region, a phenomenon also highlighted in Dahiya’s post.

Frost had been observed on crops, grass and even vehicle windshields earlier this week, making early-morning travel hazardous and reducing visibility on elevated roads.

The IMD has kept an orange alert in place till January 13, warning of cold wave to severe cold wave conditions, dense fog and ground frost across Haryana, Delhi and neighbouring states.

Meteorologists said temperatures are likely to remain abnormally low for the next few days before gradually rising later in the week.