Dense fog, cold wave alert in 7 states; Delhi airport issues advisory

Dense fog and cold wave disrupt road and air travel in Delhi-NCR and northern India, with IMD issuing fog alerts for five states and cold wave warnings for Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand

Dense fog enveloped Delhi and several parts of northern India on Thursday morning, prompting multiple alerts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

 

Large parts of Delhi-NCR were covered in dense fog, significantly reducing visibility and disrupting transport across the national capital.

 

IMD issues alert

 

The IMD warned of dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets over Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttarakhand during the early hours, while similar conditions were expected over northeast India, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Cold wave conditions were also forecast for isolated areas of Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with cold day conditions expected in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

 

 

Visibility drops, airport, airline issue advisory

 

According to IMD’s 6 am observation, visibility at Palam Airport dropped sharply to 150 metres, while Safdarjung Airport reported visibility of 200 metres.

 

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi issued a passenger advisory at 4.30 am, warning that low visibility procedures were in force. While flight operations were continuing normally at the time, authorities advised passengers to remain in close contact with their respective airlines for updates. 

 

Air India cautioned travellers that reduced visibility due to dense fog could lead to delays or cancellations over the next few days, particularly at its Delhi hub and other airports across northern and eastern India.

 

To minimise disruption, Air India has implemented operational planning measures, enhanced ground coordination, and its FogCare initiative, which alerts passengers about potentially affected flights via mobile notifications. Passengers booked on impacted flights can reschedule without extra charges or seek a full refund without penalty. The airline urged travellers to check flight status online before heading to the airport and assured that ground staff would provide assistance and alternative arrangements as needed.

 

The dense fog affected road traffic in several areas, with vehicles moving slowly on major arterial roads and highways connecting Delhi with neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region. Morning commuters faced delays as low visibility prompted motorists to exercise caution.

#WATCH | Delhi: Dense fog shrouds the national capital.  (Visuals from the Mahipalpur area) pic.twitter.com/1gRJdGaDqs

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025

Weather officials said foggy conditions are likely to persist during early mornings in the coming days as winter intensifies.

 

Rainfall, snowfall likely in many states

 

According to the IMD, light rainfall or snowfall is likely at a few places over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand between December 18 and December 23. Light rainfall is also expected over Punjab, West Rajasthan, and parts of northern India on December 20 and December 21. 

 

Minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged over most parts of the country, with gradual rises by two to three degrees Celsius in Gujarat and Maharashtra over the next few days.

 

(With agency inputs)