On Monday morning, dense fog covered Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, reducing visibility to just a few metres. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued alert for East and West Uttar Pradesh, warning of dense fog and cold wave conditions, while the national capital is on a yellow alert today. Delhi is expected to see moderate fog in many areas, with dense fog likely at a few isolated locations during the morning hours, the IMD said.

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“Dense to very dense fog is expected at night and in the morning across parts of East Uttar Pradesh (till 23rd), Punjab, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, and North Madhya Pradesh (till 22nd). Bihar, Jharkhand, and interior Odisha may see dense fog till 24th December,” the IMD posted on X (formerly Twitter). 

Delhi AQI remains ‘very poor’, airport issues advisory 

Delhi continues to remain under a thick blanket of smog, with air quality staying in the ‘very poor’ range on Monday morning. The city’s average AQI stood at 366 at 9:00 am, as per the Sameer app. Several areas slipped into the ‘severe’ category, with Narela recording the highest AQI of 418 so far today. The minimum temperature in the capital is likely to hover between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is expected to be around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, low visibility prompted Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to issue a fresh advisory for passengers, raising concerns of further disruption to flight operations. 

“Low visibility procedures are in progress at Delhi airport. All flight operations continue as normal,” the 7 AM advisory on X read, adding a request to the passengers to contact their respective airlines for updated flight information.

Snowfall and heavy rain predicted for Himalayan states

The IMD also predicted heavy rainfall, snowfall, and snowstorms in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh, with visibility dropping below 400 metres. Uttarakhand may see scattered rain or snowfall until 24 December. Cold wave conditions are expected in Karnataka and Telangana on 22 and 23 December.

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On Sunday, Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana experienced cold day conditions with fog. In Jammu and Kashmir, snowfall in higher areas marked the start of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ – the 40-day harshest winter period, ending on January 30. The sudden cold wave is due to a Western Disturbance and the subtropical westerly jet stream over north India.

“Cold day conditions are likely in isolated areas of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand on 22nd, and in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh on 22nd and 23rd December,” the IMD said.