A thick blanket of dense fog descended upon the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday, 29 December 2025, severely impairing visibility and throwing daily life into disarray. The sudden weather shift created a scene of eerie stillness during the morning commute, with significant disruptions reported across road, rail, and air travel networks.
IMD Sounds Alarm with Orange Alert
In response to the hazardous conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for very dense fog. The weather body forecast that the foggy conditions would persist, advising residents to exercise caution. The alert coincided with predicted temperatures hovering around a maximum of 22 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius.
Transportation Grinds to a Halt
The immediate impact of the near-zero visibility was felt most acutely by commuters and travellers. Major highways and city roads witnessed severe traffic jams as vehicles were forced to move at a crawl. The disruptions were not limited to roads.
Flight schedules at the Delhi airports experienced widespread delays, leaving passengers stranded. Train services were also affected, compounding the travel woes for thousands. The fog-induced chaos highlighted the vulnerability of the region's transportation infrastructure to such seasonal weather phenomena.
A City Shrouded in Eerie Stillness
Beyond the logistical nightmares, the dense fog transformed the familiar landscape of Delhi-NCR. Landmarks disappeared from view, and the usual morning bustle was muffled under the thick, white cover. The visual documentation of the day captured this unsettling calm, showing empty-looking roads and blurred outlines of buildings, underscoring the intensity of the fog event for which the orange alert was specifically issued.
Such severe fog episodes, while not uncommon in North Indian winters, serve as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by weather extremes to urban centers. The IMD's alert system aims to mitigate risks, but the day's events showed the profound impact on the rhythm of life in the capital region.
