An Afternoon In Delhi That Feels Like A Dark, Gloomy Evening

It's 12 noon in the national capital, Delhi, but the city is shrouded in darkness. With the sun on vacation, it feels like a cold winter evening, perfect to slide into a comforter with a hot drink and a book to keep you company. But there is also a weirdly unsettling, dark and unmistakably apocalyptic feel to the city today.

The skyline of Noida and Gurugram - usually defined by skyscrapers - now appears erased. It has vanished behind thick fog and dark clouds. Everything is grey and blurry, like the city is being seen through a two-megapixel camera.

In between, rumbling thunderstorms warn you of restless clouds, waiting to burst. Several parts of the city are witnessing light to moderate rain, accompanied by lightning and strong winds. This has led to a sudden dip in temperature, bringing back winter chills.

The roads are deserted. It is gloomy. And this is likely to continue.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the sudden shift in the weather to a western disturbance. The weather department has issued warnings for rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh and North Rajasthan.

#Watch | Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad Witness Rain, Thunderstorms, More Showers Likelyhttps://t.co/jE40Bw0cVU pic.twitter.com/ilXOUmi9JG

— NDTV (@ndtv) January 23, 2026

The weather alert has been downgraded from orange to yellow.

The showers have led to a significant shift in air quality as Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood at 293 in the "poor" category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's Sameer app, an improvement from 313 recorded at 4 pm on Thursday. Of the monitoring stations, 23 were in the "very poor" category, 15 in "poor", and one station recorded "moderate" air quality.

Fresh Snowfall In Kashmir, Himachal

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg and a few other areas in the Kashmir Valley received fresh snowfall, with high-speed winds sweeping Srinagar and other plains.

#WATCH | J&K's picturesque Bhaderwah valley received fresh snowfall this morning. The snowfall brought a sharp dip in temperatures, while locals welcomed the fresh spell of snow.

Bhaderwah Police and the district administration have issued helpline numbers and advised people to… pic.twitter.com/cOz969IOoD

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2026

Himachal Pradesh's Manali also witnessed fresh snowfall, covering the hill town in a white blanket. The spell of snow has brought a wave of joy to the region.