Recent episodes of dense fog, with visibility dropping to zero metres in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have highlighted continuing risks to public safety and major disruptions to road, rail, and air transport. These conditions underline the persistence of severe winter weather across large parts of northern and central India.
According to the India Meteorological Department, dense to very dense fog is expected to blanket northwest, central, eastern, and northeastern India during the morning hours of January 6, 2026. The weather agency has also warned that cold day conditions are likely to intensify across several states, with temperatures remaining well below normal for this time of year.
Cold wave alerts have been issued for isolated areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. The IMD noted that weak western disturbances could allow minimum temperatures to fall further, worsening cold conditions over the coming days. In several regions, daytime temperatures are also expected to remain significantly lower than average, compounding discomfort for residents.
Dense to very dense fog, defined as visibility below 200 metres, is forecast to persist in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan on January 6. Eastern Uttar Pradesh is likely to face prolonged foggy conditions until January 12, while Bihar and Assam may continue to experience morning haze until January 10. In the past 24 hours, places such as Gorakhpur, Gwalior, and Jabalpur reported zero visibility, leading to grounded flights and severe traffic congestion on highways stretching from Delhi to Patna.
Although upper-level fog cleared from parts of Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, and western Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning, allowing some sunshine later in the day, meteorologists warned that this relief would be temporary. Clearer skies are expected to result in a sharp drop in night-time temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. A fresh spell of surface-level fog is likely to redevelop early Tuesday morning.
Weather expert Devendra Tripathi explained that increased cloud cover may develop over the western Himalayan region, with isolated snowfall in some areas. He said that regions ranging from Jammu to Shimla, as well as Punjab, Haryana, parts of Rajasthan, and northern Madhya Pradesh, are likely to witness dense morning fog, though conditions may improve later in the day as winds strengthen.
Cold day conditions, where maximum temperatures remain at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal, are very likely over Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, eastern Rajasthan, and Jharkhand on January 6. Similar conditions may continue over western Rajasthan and sub-Himalayan West Bengal until January 7. Cold waves, marked by sharply lower minimum temperatures and sudden drops within 24 hours, may affect isolated areas of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh between January 6 and 9, eastern Rajasthan from January 6 to 10, Chhattisgarh from January 6 to 8, and Jharkhand from January 6 to 7.
Minimum temperatures across northwest and central India are expected to fall further by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius by January 6. In the plains, temperatures have already dropped to around 2.4 degrees Celsius in places such as Etawah. Ground frost poses a threat in parts of Uttarakhand, while light snowfall or rain is possible over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Meteorologists attribute the prolonged cold spell to multiple weather systems, including cyclonic circulations over northwest Uttar Pradesh and north Pakistan, along with a strong subtropical jet stream. An equatorial trough near the southern Bay of Bengal may also influence rainfall patterns in the southern peninsula later in the week.
The IMD has advised people to exercise caution, particularly while travelling during low-visibility conditions, and has urged the use of fog lights, warm clothing, and protective measures for vulnerable populations. Agricultural activities may also be affected due to frost and prolonged cold. Relief from the harsh winter conditions in the northern plains is not expected before January 8, as the region continues to grapple with extreme winter weather and increasing climate variability.
Tripathi also noted that parts of southern India may experience light rainfall in the coming days due to developing cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Cities such as Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi could see brief showers, offering a contrast to the intense cold gripping much of northern India.
