On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe weather warning as a combination of a “Cold Day” and “Very Dense Fog” blankets Northwest and Central India. Visibility has dropped to zero meters in several cities, causing significant disruptions to rail, road, and air travel.
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1. Regional Impact & Visibility
The fog is currently most intense in the early morning hours, with visibility falling below 50 meters in many hotspots.
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Zero Visibility Zones: Gorakhpur, Gwalior, and Jabalpur.
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Dense Fog (Under 50m): Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR, East Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
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Travel Disruptions: * Railways: Over 74 trains are running hours behind schedule.
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Airports: Delhi Airport is operating under CAT III conditions; over 60 flights have been delayed or diverted since Monday night.
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2. Temperature Forecast & “Cold Day” Conditions
A “Cold Day” is declared when the maximum temperature is $4.5^{\circ}\text{C}$ or more below normal.
| Region | Max/Min Temp Range | Conditions |
| Delhi-NCR | 18C / 7C | Cold Wave till tonight; Shallow Fog |
| Punjab/Haryana | 14C / 4C | Cold Wave expected till Jan 9 |
| North Rajasthan | 16 / 2C | Ground frost risk in isolated pockets |
| North MP/Bihar | 15C / 6C | Cold Day conditions likely today |
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3. Delhi Air Quality (AQI) Update
While strong winds (15–22 kmph) helped disperse some pollutants yesterday, the air quality remains a concern.
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Overall AQI: 288 (Poor).
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Pollution Hotspots: Anand Vihar (343) and RK Puram (324) remain in the “Very Poor” category.
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Outlook: AQI is expected to improve slightly to “Moderate” later today before dipping back to “Poor” by January 7.
4. Safety Advisory
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Agriculture: Ground frost is a threat to crops in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Farmers are advised to provide light irrigation to protect seedlings.
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Commuters: Use fog lights and maintain low speeds. Check the “Sameer” app for live AQI updates and “Aamantran” or airline apps for flight status.
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Health: High risk for respiratory patients due to the mix of cold air and “Poor” AQI.
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