Delhi weather: When to expect 'Dilli ki sardi'? Expert says harsh winters, cold waves expected after...

Delhi and other parts of India may experience "wintry conditions" by the end of the third week or the start of the fourth week of December, said GP Sharma, the president of Skymet Weather Services, on Friday, 12 December.

"We expect these winters to pick up...[in] the third week of December or maybe towards the end of the third week, and start of the fourth week," he told Mint.

He added that the "typical winter will take place" anytime after 20 or 21 December. The statement came amid concerns over delayed winters in Delhi.

When to expect cold waves in Delhi?

"If, at all, cold wave conditions will be there, that will be in the fourth week of December. After around 21 December, we can expect things to happen," Sharma said.

"That is the time when the typical winter will take place," he said.

Will Delhi see extreme cold wave conditions this year?'

Extreme cold waves happen normally after mid-January, the expert said.

Amid reports suggesting the possibility of "very harsh" winters this season, Sharma said one can expect harsh spells, as is the case every winter, but there won't be an "outlier".

He said there are normally about five to six days of cold-wave conditions in a season, and this year, one could add another two days or so, and “it could be a little more frequent, and that's all”.

Are delayed winters common?

The minimum temperature recorded in Delhi on 11 December 2025 was 8.6 degrees Celsius. However, the minimum temperature had dropped to 4.9 degrees Celsius on the same day, last year, according to the data recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Sharma explained the weather pattern and said that last year, as well, "typical winters" had started "a little late," after mid-December. "It maintained the pace thereafter, and then it was good in January and February. There is a fair amount of snowfall and rainfall," he said.

Why is there a delay in the onset of Delhi winters?

Sharma said there have been no active western disturbances that have caused any "wintry conditions" in the plains or mountains so far.

"We expect any western disturbances to come after 19 December, which will impact both mountains and plains," he said. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says, “A fresh feeble Western Disturbance is likely to influence the Western Himalayan Region from 13th December 2025.”

He also said La Niña conditions, coupled with normal changes in the climate pattern (because of global warming and other factors), led to "shifting of seasons beyond the timeline."

He mentioned that this is the second consecutive year for La Niña.

"Last year also, we had it. It was a very brief and weak event. This time also, we are having it. The process is already on. Topical temperatures have already crossed the threshold of the La Nina, which means the process has begun."

"Like last year, this is also going to be very short and weak," he said.