Written By: Muskan Gupta | Published : December 21, 2025 2:22 PM IST
Delhi residents awoke to a thick coating of deadly fog on Sunday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for a cold wave in Delhi-NCR, with temperatures expected to dip significantly on December 21. The weather agency warned against cold day conditions on Sunday, predicting maximum temperatures in the national capital to be roughly 5 degrees Celsius lower than typical.
"Partly cloudy sky. Cold day conditions at isolated places. Dense fog at a few places with very dense fog at isolated places during morning hours," IMD's press release states. The Meteorological Department reported that the current meteorological conditions indicate the presence of a subtropical westerly jet stream over North India.
Delhi experienced its first cold wave of the season, recording the coldest day of the month this year with a maximum temperature 5.3 degrees Celsius lower than typical on Saturday. Cold wave conditions were recorded at the Safdarjung and Palam monitoring sites, with maximum temperatures exceeding 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal.
On Sunday, the highest and lowest temperatures are forecast to be 16-18 degrees Celsius and 6-8 degrees Celsius, respectively. 66 arrival and departure flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport were cancelled on Saturday due to severe fog and low visibility.
Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 8:05 a.m. today was 387, placing it in the'very poor' category. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 19 of the city's 40 monitoring sites registered an AQI of 400 or higher, placing them in the'severe' category. Except for Mathura Road, all other stations reported AQIs in the 'bad' category.
Air India issued a travel advisory and in a post on X stated, "Weather forecasts continue to indicate dense fog conditions with reduced visibility in Delhi and parts of northern and eastern India tomorrow morning. This will affect flight schedules across the network. We have taken proactive steps to minimise disruptions. However, in the event of unexpected delays, diversions, or cancellations, please rest assured that our ground staff are available to assist you with alternative arrangements."
https://twitter.com/airindia/status/2002414652324786597
Amid dense fog, IndiGo also issued a passenger advisory, "Early-morning fog is expected to affect visibility across Delhi and parts of northern India. During these hours, visibility can suddenly reduce, impacting flight operations."
SpiceJet warned against flight disruptions due to fog and in a post on X said, "#WeatherUpdate (21st Dec'25): Due to expected bad weather (poor visibility) in Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Ayodhya (AYJ), Gorakhpur (GOP), Varanasi (VNS), Darbhanga (DBR), Jammu (IXJ), Amritsar (ATQ), Patna (PAT) and Bagdogra (IXB), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://spicejet.com/#status."
