The India Meteorological Department (IMD)has warned of dense to very dense fog conditionsacross several parts of the country, likely to persist till the morning hours of January 6.
The weather department said visibility levels may drop sharply, especially during late night and early morning hours, increasing the risk of travel disruptions.
On Tuesday morning, a thick fog covered the national capital. Delhi Airport reported just 200 metres of visibility and a temperature of 8°C at 6:00 AM on January 6. The IMD predicted light fog in the morning over the city. Because of the foggy conditions, Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a passenger advisory at 6:00 AM.
#WATCH | A blanket of smog envelopes the National Capital. Visuals from Delhi Airport.
Delhi Airport tweets, "Flight operations continue to be in CAT III. Both arrivals and departures are taking place, though some flights may experience delays or disruptions. Passengers are… pic.twitter.com/qMVmK4iChe
— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2026
“Flight operations continue to be in CAT III. Both arrivals and departures are taking place, though some flights may experience delays or disruptions. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight information,” IGI said in its advisory.
Passenger Advisory issued at 06:00 hrs.
Please click on this link for real-time winter travel updates:https://t.co/KkKldKUlLQ#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/4Ode5M2Tol
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 6, 2026
States to be affected by very dense and dense fog
According to IMD, very dense fog is expected in parts of east Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.
Dense fog conditions are also likely over a wide belt covering Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Sikkim, along with west Uttar Pradesh.
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The prevailing foggy conditions may lead to poor visibility on roads and could affect rail and air operations in some regions. IMD has advised commuters to remain cautious, drive at reduced speeds, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and use fog lights instead of high-beam headlights. People are also advised to follow traffic and weather advisories closely and avoid non-essential travel during early morning hours to stay safe.
“Follow traffic advisories and weather updates. Avoid unnecessary travel during early morning hours. Stay alert, stay safe, and plan your travel wisely,” IMD said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)
Schools closed in Lucknow due to cold wave
Amid severe cold conditions, the Lucknow district administration has directed that all schools for students up to Class 8 will remain closed till January 8. Schools for Classes 9 to 12 will continue to operate but with revised timings, starting from 10 am.
Uttar Pradesh is currently witnessing a sharp fall in temperatures, with several cities including Kanpur, Etawah, Barabanki, Shahjahanpur and Hardoi recording minimum temperatures below 5°C.
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Delhi-NCR air quality shows improvement
Air quality across Delhi-NCR has shown a noticeable improvement, with Delhi recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 279 on Tuesday morning, which still falls under ‘poor’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app, as of 6:00 am. |
