New Delhi: Saying goodbye to the year 2025, the country has welcomed 2026, but the first morning of the new year has brought with it severe cold and a thick blanket of white fog. Most parts of North India are currently in the grip of severe cold wave. From Delhi-NCR to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the fog is such that even a person standing a few steps away is not visible. In view of the situation, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange alerts, which clearly shows that there is little chance of relief.
On the very first day of the year, dense fog has put a brake on the speed. Visibility reached zero in areas like Palam and Safdarjung, due to which long queues of vehicles were seen on the roads. The worst impact of fog has been on Indian Railways and flights. Dozens of trains coming to Delhi are running 5 to 8 hours behind schedule, while many flights have had to be diverted due to low visibility at IGI Airport. The administration has advised passengers to check the status of their train or flight before leaving home.
According to meteorologists, continuous snowfall in the mountains and icy winds coming from there have dropped the mercury in the plains. In areas like Churu and Fatehpur of Rajasthan, the temperature has reached near the freezing point. The minimum temperature in Delhi has been recorded around 4 degrees Celsius, which is much below normal. IMD says that ‘Cold Day’ conditions will persist in North-West India for the next 72 hours. This means that even during the day the sun will not shine and the chill will remain intact.
There is a possibility of ‘very dense fog’ in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh for the next four to five days. The Meteorological Department has advised children and the elderly to take special precautions, because falling mercury can cause problems for respiratory and heart patients. The administration has given instructions to strengthen the arrangements of night shelters so that the homeless people can be saved from this deadly cold. At present, the beginning of 2026 has made it clear that the entire month of January is going to be spent amidst severe cold.
