Dense fog in Noida on Saturday morning.(Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)North India Weather Forecast Today LIVE Updates: At least 129 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport on Saturday due to dense fog, as the national capital experienced its first cold wave of the season, recording its coldest December day this year so far, news agency PTI reported quoting an official. The weather department has predicted dense to very dense fog on Sunday and issued an orange alert for the national capital.
Airport Advisory: Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a passenger advisory as dense fog continued to blanket the capital. The airport said low visibility procedures were still in progress, but flight operations were functioning normally. On Friday, fog disrupted operations, leading to the cancellation of at least 177 flights, including some international services, and delays to nearly 500 flights, according to data from Flightradar24.com. Both Air India and IndiGo issued travel advisories, urging passengers to remain patient as services gradually returned to normal. Air India said it would remain vigilant and make every effort to mitigate fog-related disruptions during the holiday season.
Punjab & Haryana weather: The winter chill intensified across parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday as a thick blanket of fog enveloped several areas, reducing visibility. Hoshiarpur emerged as the coldest place in Punjab, recording a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius. Amritsar logged a low of 9.3 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded minimum temperatures of 10.6 and 9.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. In Haryana, Ambala recorded a minimum temperature of 10.4 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius.
The Local MeT office issued a yellow warning on Saturday for dense fog in and around the reservoir area of the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur district, as well as in parts of the Balh Valley in Mandi district during the early morning and late night hours.
The forecast also predicted light snow and rain in isolated areas of the high hills on Sunday, noting that a new, weak Western Disturbance is expected to impact the western Himalayan region starting December 25.--PTI
As the year draws to a close, mercury hovered around its wintry lows and normal life was affected across northern states due to foggy conditions, with red alert warning issued in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
The national capital experienced its first cold wave of the season, recording its coldest December day this year so far.
The sun was largely obscured by clouds and pollutants lingering in the atmosphere, leading to reduced visibility. At least 129 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport on Saturday due to dense fog, according to an official.
The hilly state and UT of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are set to witness a spell of wet weather, with predictions of rain and snow at several places, according to the local weather departments.
A day ahead of the onset of the 'Chillai-Kalan' -- the 40-day harsh winter period in Kashmir -- the local meteorological department on Saturday forecast moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches.--PTI
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued an 'orange alert' (be prepared) for very dense fog likely in parts of Jharkhand over the next two days, and a 'yellow alert' (be updated) for the next three days.
The districts for which the 'orange alert' has been issued include Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Giridih, Ramgarh, and Bokaro. Early morning visibility is expected to drop significantly in these districts to less than 50 metres. Very dense fog is likely in these districts until December 22, the IMD bulletin said.--PTI
Cold conditions persisted in Rajasthan where temperatures plummeted in several parts of the state, the meteorological department said on Saturday.
Fatehpur in Sikar district recorded the lowest temperature at 5.4 degree Celsius, followed closely by Sikar at 5.8 degree on Friday night, the met office said.
In the capital city, Jaipur, the mercury settled at 10.8 degree Celsius, while Dabok and Ajmer both recorded 10.5 degree, they said.
Alwar recorded 6 degree Celsius, Karauli 6.2 degree and Dausa recorded a minimum of 6.4 degree, they said.--PTI
Dense fog and cold grip Moga, disrupt traffic and daily life. Hoshiarpur in Punjab emerged as the coldest place in the region, recording a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius on Friday.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Punjab: Dense fog and cold grip Moga, disrupt traffic and daily life. Hoshiarpur in Punjab emerged as the coldest place in the region, recording a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius on Friday.#punjab #fog #weatherupdate
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 20, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/PNKFkJkrKR
Temperatures drop to 0.4°C ahead of Chill-e-Kalan, the coldest phase of winter in Kashmir. Though slightly above the seasonal average, the city experiences a crisp, biting morning as winter tightens its grip.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Srinagar, J&K: Temperatures drop to 0.4°C ahead of Chill-e-Kalan, the coldest phase of winter in Kashmir. Though slightly above the seasonal average, the city experiences a crisp, biting morning as winter tightens its grip.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 20, 2025
Chill-e-Kalan, the great cold, refers to the… pic.twitter.com/S3GG1RSDdl
The national capital witnesses dense fog reducing visibility to near zero; drone visuals from the Ring Road area.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Delhi: The national capital witnesses dense fog reducing visibility to near zero; drone visuals from the Ring Road area.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 20, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/Y9cfVjxv4b
Dense fog continues to significantly reduce visibility across Chandigarh and Amritsar, impacting IndiGo flights to and from these cities.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsTravel Advisory
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 19, 2025
Dense fog across #chandigarh #amritsar continues to significantly reduce visibility, impacting flight operations to and from these cities.
We recommend checking the latest flight status on our website or app before proceeding to the airport…
In a post on X, the airline said, "Low visibility and fog over #ranchi, #jammu and #hindon (Airport) may impact flight schedules. We are closely monitoring the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly." The airline has requested passengers to check flight status on http://bit.ly/3ZWAQXd.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsTravel Advisory
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 19, 2025
Low visibility and fog over #ranchi, #jammu and #hindon (Airport) may impact flight schedules. We are closely monitoring the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly.
We request that you stay updated on your flight status…
Dense fog continued to disrupt operations at the Delhi airport, with at least 79 flights getting cancelled on Friday, according to an official.
More than 230 flights were delayed at the airport and the average delay for departures was 49 minutes on Friday morning, as per data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
The official said that a total of 79 flights, including some International services, have been cancelled.
After a brief respite, cold conditions intensified in Kashmir as the night temperatures dropped and settled below the freezing point at most places in the valley, officials said on Friday.
Pulwama town was the coldest recorded place with a minimum of minus 4 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, they said.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius, two degrees down from the previous night's 0.2 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
A thick layer of fog engulfed Srinagar and most other parts of the valley, especially near water bodies, during the early hours.
In south Kashmir, Pahalgam, one of the base camps for the Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius. Kokernag and Qazigund recorded a low of 0.5 degrees and minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, they said.
Dense fog was observed at isolated places in northeastern Rajasthan on Friday, with the weather remaining normal in most parts of the state, the local meteorological centre said.
The dense fog is likely to persist during morning hours in the Bharatpur division and its surrounding areas on Saturday, the weather department forecast.
A fresh western disturbance will affect parts of Rajasthan from December 19 to 22, leading to cloudy conditions and a rise in minimum temperatures by 1-3 degrees Celsius.
The overall weather is expected to remain dry across most parts of the state.
According to the Met department, northerly winds may lead to a drop in minimum temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius from December 24 onward, with dense fog likely at isolated places in western and northern Rajasthan on December 23 and 24.
Fatehpur in Sikar district registered a low of 4 degrees Celsius on Friday, followed by Alwar (4.8 degrees), Sikar and Lunkaransar (5 degrees), Nagaur (5.1 degrees) and Dausa (5.7 degrees).
As cold wave intensifies in Himachal Pradesh, Una district administration on Friday appealed people to make proper use of fog lights and avoid listening to loud music while driving amid dense fog.
Una Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Jatin Lal, also urged people to take some necessary precautions regarding their health and safety.
"Due to the continuous drop in temperature, the effect of the cold wave and fog may intensify in the coming days. In such a situation, it is imperative to take necessary precautions for safety and protection", he said.
Regarding traffic precautions, the Deputy Commissioner appealed to all drivers to limit their speed.
Amid flight disruptions due to fog and low visibility conditions, the civil aviation ministry on Friday directed airlines to strictly comply with facilitation requirements for passengers and ensure adequate staffing at airports.
Hundreds of flights are getting delayed and many are being cancelled due to dense fog at various airports, including Delhi's IGIA.
In an office memorandum, the ministry mentioned about mandatory compliance with passenger facilitation requirements during fog and low-visibility conditions.
According to the ministry, there should be timely and accurate information about flights, meals and refreshments for extended delays, rebooking or refunds in case of cancellations and boarding should not be denied after timely check-in.
The Met Centre, Lucknow, has issued red and orange alerts for several districts.
Areas likely to witness very dense fog are -- Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Gorakhpur, Basti, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri.
Besides them -- Kanpur Nagar and Dehat, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Agra, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Pilibhit -- and adjoining areas are also likely to witness very dense fog.
Dense fog prevailed across several districts of Uttar Pradesh and persisted till late hours during the day, leading to cold day conditions in many parts of the state, the Met department said on Friday.
Visibility plunged across parts of Delhi on Saturday morning, with buildings and flyovers fading into a grey blur amid dense fog, as the capital's AQI edged closer to the ‘severe' category at 384.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
