Severe winter conditions continued to affect large parts of north and east India on Wednesday, with dense fog, plummeting temperatures and poor air quality disrupting daily life across several states.
Delhi-NCR:
The national capital woke up to dense fog and hazardous air quality, with visibility dropping to just 50 metres at Palam and Safdarjung early morning.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for dense fog between 8.30 am and 10 am.
Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 384, placing it in the very poor category. Sixteen monitoring stations recorded severe air quality, with Anand Vihar registering the worst AQI at 452. Officials attributed the pollution to low wind speeds and poor ventilation conditions.
The AQI is expected to worsen to the severe category on January 1 before marginal improvement. Minimum temperatures dipped to 6.4°C, slightly below normal, and light rain is forecast on New Year’s Day.
West Bengal:
Cold conditions intensified across the state, with Kolkata recording its season’s lowest minimum temperature of 11°C, nearly three degrees below normal. Darjeeling was the coldest location at 3.4°C.
The IMD said the chill will persist in sub-Himalayan districts for the next week, with chances of light rain or snow in higher reaches of Darjeeling. Dense to moderate fog is also likely across the state in the coming days.
Rajasthan:
Karauli emerged as the coldest place in the state, recording a minimum temperature of 4.6°C. Several districts including Alwar, Dausa and Churu reported temperatures below 10°C.
The IMD has forecast light rain in parts of Bikaner, Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions, along with dense to very dense fog from January 1 to 3.
Assam:
Severe cold prompted authorities to shut all government and provincialised schools in Kamrup Metropolitan district, including Guwahati, for a week starting December 31. Day temperatures in the state capital dropped sharply, remaining over six degrees below normal.
The IMD has predicted cloudy skies with light rain or drizzle and foggy conditions. People were seen lighting roadside fires to keep warm, while demand for woollens surged.
Punjab and Haryana:
Cold weather persisted across both states, though minimum temperatures remained slightly above normal in many areas. Amritsar recorded a low of 6.1°C, while Rohtak and Narnaul in Haryana were among the colder spots with temperatures around 4–5°C. Chandigarh recorded a minimum of 8.4°C.
Overall, meteorological agencies warned that winter conditions, including fog, cold nights and poor air quality, are likely to persist across several regions in the coming days.