Delhi on red alert for dense fog amid travel disruptions across north India

North India remains in the grip of winter as dense fog disrupts flights, trains and road travel during the holiday season, while snowfall, rain and dropping temperatures are forecast in the new year

Winter conditions continue to dominate large parts of north India ahead of the new year, with dense to very dense fog reducing visibility across the plains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that foggy conditions will persist during the night and early morning hours over the next few days, significantly affecting daily life and travel across the region.

VIDEO | Very dense fog blankets Delhi. Visuals from Ashram area.#Delhi #Fog pic.twitter.com/83isbdo6k5

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 29, 2025

States including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are likely to witness very dense fog, while dense fog conditions are also expected over parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

 

 

Red alert in Delhi due to dense fog

 

Delhi has been placed on a red alert as visibility levels dropped sharply across several parts of the national capital. Thick fog enveloped roads, residential colonies and highways, with visuals on social media showing near-zero visibility in several areas.

 

For today, the IMD has forecast a partly cloudy sky, with moderate fog at many places and dense to very dense fog at a few places during the morning hours.

 

In the coming days, early mornings are expected to be the worst affected, with fog gradually thinning to dense levels by late morning.

 

The minimum temperature in the national capital is likely to remain between 7 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius, while the maximum will hover around 20 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius.

 

Flight delays and travel disruptions

 

Air travel was severely impacted at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport due to zero-visibility conditions. At least 128 flights were cancelled and eight diverted on Monday morning as low-visibility procedures were put in place.

 

In an advisory, Delhi airport authorities said flight operations were running smoothly later in the morning after being under CAT III conditions due to dense fog. Passengers were advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates, while airport officials coordinated with stakeholders to manage on-ground operations.

 

Fog-related disruptions are also likely to affect road and rail traffic across north India, particularly during the early morning hours.

 

Snowfall and rainfall forecast

 

The IMD has forecast scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall and snowfall over Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh between December 30 and January 2. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also likely to witness isolated to scattered light to moderate rain or snow during the same period.

 

Isolated light to moderate rainfall is expected over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and west Rajasthan on December 30, and over parts of Uttar Pradesh on January 1. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour are likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands till the end of the month.

 

Will temperatures drop in the coming days?

 

Minimum temperatures across northwest India are expected to rise gradually by three to four degrees Celsius over the next three days, followed by a fall of a similar magnitude over the subsequent four days. In Delhi, temperatures are likely to range between a maximum of around 23 degrees Celsius and a minimum of about 8 degrees Celsius, with humidity levels remaining very high.

 

Cold wave conditions are very likely at isolated places over Odisha, while cold day conditions are expected in parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.