Dense fog alert! Near-zero visibility likely in Delhi-NCR, temperature to drop further across North India
A dense fog cluster has started forming over northern Haryana and parts of Punjab, with weather experts indicating that this fog is likely to spread overnight and lead to near-zero visibility across large areas of north India
- Dec 23, 2025,
- Updated Dec 23, 2025 8:01 AM IST
A thick fog blanket is beginning to take shape over north India, setting the stage for dangerous travel conditions as winter tightens its grip across the region.
A dense fog cluster has started forming over northern Haryana and parts of Punjab, with weather experts indicating that this fog is likely to spread overnight and lead to near-zero visibility across large areas of north India on Tuesday morning. The delayed onset of fog is expected to increase its severity in cities such as Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by a noticeable decrease in temperatures, weather expert Navdeep Dahiya pointed out.
Weather experts warned that the delayed formation of fog will intensify its impact, potentially reducing visibility to nil across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, while also triggering a sharp dip in temperatures. Minimum temperatures are forecast to drop by 2–3 degrees Celsius compared to previous mornings at most stations, signalling the arrival of peak winter conditions. Dahiya further predicted, urging caution among road users, air travellers and train passengers. A significant drop in night temperatures is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.
Visibility issues have already begun surfacing, with Varanasi airport experiencing zero visibility for over an hour after sunset, disrupting operations.
Temperatures continue to drop
Cold conditions persisted across Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on Monday, with dense fog briefly reducing visibility in parts of the national capital. The India Meteorological Department has predicted dense to very dense fog across northern states until December 27.
Delhi recorded maximum temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures ranged from 8 to 11 degrees. Palam reported the lowest visibility at 150 metres at 8 am due to moderate fog, improving to 400 metres by 9.30 am.
Punjab and Haryana continued to experience cold weather, even as minimum temperatures in some areas remained slightly above seasonal norms. Amritsar recorded a minimum of 9.7 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 7.2 degrees, while Ambala, Hisar and Karnal registered lows of 10, 8.9 and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In the western Himalayan region, recent precipitation in Kashmir led to relatively higher night temperatures and cooler days, with another spell of snow or rain expected within the next 12 hours. Himachal Pradesh has issued a yellow warning for dense fog in parts of Bilaspur, Una and Mandi districts until December 26, with light snow and rain likely in higher reaches on December 28.
The IMD has also forecast scattered to widespread light to moderate rainfall and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir from December 23 to 27, and again on December 28, with isolated spells expected over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Foggy conditions are also affecting Rajasthan, with dense fog likely to persist across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and parts of the western Himalayas in the coming days.
With dense fog set to dominate night and morning hours across large swathes of north India, authorities have urged people to drive cautiously and closely follow weather advisories.
A thick fog blanket is beginning to take shape over north India, setting the stage for dangerous travel conditions as winter tightens its grip across the region.
A dense fog cluster has started forming over northern Haryana and parts of Punjab, with weather experts indicating that this fog is likely to spread overnight and lead to near-zero visibility across large areas of north India on Tuesday morning. The delayed onset of fog is expected to increase its severity in cities such as Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by a noticeable decrease in temperatures, weather expert Navdeep Dahiya pointed out.
Weather experts warned that the delayed formation of fog will intensify its impact, potentially reducing visibility to nil across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, while also triggering a sharp dip in temperatures. Minimum temperatures are forecast to drop by 2–3 degrees Celsius compared to previous mornings at most stations, signalling the arrival of peak winter conditions. Dahiya further predicted, urging caution among road users, air travellers and train passengers. A significant drop in night temperatures is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.
Visibility issues have already begun surfacing, with Varanasi airport experiencing zero visibility for over an hour after sunset, disrupting operations.
Temperatures continue to drop
Cold conditions persisted across Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on Monday, with dense fog briefly reducing visibility in parts of the national capital. The India Meteorological Department has predicted dense to very dense fog across northern states until December 27.
Delhi recorded maximum temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures ranged from 8 to 11 degrees. Palam reported the lowest visibility at 150 metres at 8 am due to moderate fog, improving to 400 metres by 9.30 am.
Punjab and Haryana continued to experience cold weather, even as minimum temperatures in some areas remained slightly above seasonal norms. Amritsar recorded a minimum of 9.7 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 7.2 degrees, while Ambala, Hisar and Karnal registered lows of 10, 8.9 and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In the western Himalayan region, recent precipitation in Kashmir led to relatively higher night temperatures and cooler days, with another spell of snow or rain expected within the next 12 hours. Himachal Pradesh has issued a yellow warning for dense fog in parts of Bilaspur, Una and Mandi districts until December 26, with light snow and rain likely in higher reaches on December 28.
The IMD has also forecast scattered to widespread light to moderate rainfall and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir from December 23 to 27, and again on December 28, with isolated spells expected over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Foggy conditions are also affecting Rajasthan, with dense fog likely to persist across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and parts of the western Himalayas in the coming days.
With dense fog set to dominate night and morning hours across large swathes of north India, authorities have urged people to drive cautiously and closely follow weather advisories.