IMD weather alert: Dense fog, cold wave conditions to persist across India

Large parts of India are witnessing dense fog and cold wave conditions, with the IMD warning of continued disruptions due to poor visibility, rainfall and falling temperatures

Large parts of north, central and eastern India welcomed the New Year amid dense fog and cold wave conditions, severely reducing visibility and disrupting daily life. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a nationwide alert, warning that these conditions are likely to persist over the coming days.

Dense fog warnings across multiple states

 

According to the IMD forecast, dense to very dense fog is very likely during night and morning hours at many places:

 

• Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh till January 2
• Rajasthan at isolated pockets till January 3
• Odisha till January 5
• Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till January 6

 

Dense fog is also likely at isolated places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and other northeastern states till January 8.

 

Cold wave conditions are expected at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh till January 4, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during January 2–5, and Rajasthan during January 4–7.  ALSO READ | 2025 was 8th warmest year since 1901; extreme weather caused 2,760 deaths

Rainfall and snowfall forecast

 

Along with fog and cold conditions, the IMD has issued warnings for rainfall and snowfall across several regions. Light rainfall is likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh, while Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand may witness light rain or snowfall.

Delhi weather outlook 

In the national capital, the IMD has forecast cold wave conditions at isolated places between January 2 and 5, with dense to very dense fog likely to persist during night and morning hours till January 6. Very light rain or drizzle was recorded at isolated places, while skies remained partly cloudy through the day.

Minimum temperatures forecast 

The weather bulletin said there will be no significant change in minimum temperatures over northwest India for the next 24 hours, followed by a fall of 2–3 degrees Celsius over the next three days.

 

In east India, minimum temperatures are expected to rise by 2–4 degrees Celsius over the next two days, before stabilising and then falling again by 2–3 degrees Celsius. Northeast India is likely to see no significant change in minimum temperatures over the next seven days.