It was a rainy morning that Delhi woke up to on January 23. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE
Climate Change

Finally, it rained on a winter day in Delhi

A western disturbance has finally brought rain and snow to northern India, in what has been a dry winter till now

Vikas Choudhary

Delhi and the National Capital Region woke up to a rainy winter morning on January 23, 2026. Light showers and mist reduced visibility.

The change in weather has been brought about by this year’s first intense western disturbance.

A western disturbance had finally brought winter rain to the national capital and snow for the hills of northern India. In recent years, these storms have seen a decline due to a changing climate.

Western disturbances are storm systems that travel from the west, mostly the Mediterranean and Black Seas toward India, carrying moisture with them.

In recent years though, Western disturbances have become weaker, drier, and less frequent, causing significant snowfall deficits in the western Himalayas during 2025-26. Their overall winter intensity has decreased due to shifting jet streams and climate change, according to experts.

Climate change is no longer the exception. It is fast becoming the norm, this current situation regarding western disturbances tells us.

The western disturbance that has hit Delhi on January 23 thus shows how climate change is now a clear and present danger, not something far-removed.