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Delhi air turns hazardous with AQI at 413 as dense fog, cold wave disrupt life
On Monday, more than 500 flights were delayed and at least 14 flights were cancelled at Delhi airport due to adverse weather conditions, officials said.
People walk amid dense fog on a cold winter morning, at Kartavya Path, India Gate, in New Delhi. (ANI Photo)
Air quality in the national capital deteriorated sharply on Tuesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) entering the ‘hazardous’ category and severely impacting visibility and public health. The AQI was recorded at 413 around 8 am, according to official data.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said air quality levels turned ‘severe’ in several parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), with multiple areas continuing to register alarmingly high pollution levels.
At the same time, dense fog and intense cold conditions persisted for the second consecutive day, further reducing visibility and disrupting normal life. Early morning visuals from Kartavya Path showed Republic Day 2026 rehearsals underway amid thick fog, with extremely low visibility conditions.
Rail services were also hit, with several trains running behind schedule and a few cancelled due to fog, causing inconvenience to passengers. Early visuals from the New Delhi Railway Station showed poor visibility and delays across multiple services.
VIDEO | Delhi: Republic Day 2026 rehearsal being held at Kartavya Path amid dense fog and intense cold.#Fog #RepublicDay2026 #DelhiWeather
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/IAZTvW9JRW
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 23, 2025
Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) also remained impacted as dense fog blanketed the city.
On Monday, more than 500 flights were delayed and at least 14 flights were cancelled at Delhi airport due to adverse weather conditions, officials said. Of the cancelled flights, six were arrivals and eight departures, including international services. The airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), handles around 1,300 flights daily. Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the average delay on Monday was a little over 30 minutes.
VIDEO | Delhi: Dense fog envelops the national capital reducing visibility to near zero. Drone visuals from GT Karnal Road near Kashmiri Gate.#Fog #DelhiWeather #WeatherUpdate
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/dC5TYFo6nM
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 23, 2025
On Monday, a thick grey haze enveloped the city, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 373, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. Of the 39 functional monitoring stations, 12 logged ‘severe’ air quality levels, while 27 recorded ‘very poor’ readings.
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