Categories: India

Delhi Weather Turns Hazardous As Fog And Pollution Ground Flights, Orange Alert Issued

The disruption in flight operations was not limited to Delhi but also included reports of flights to and from other cities being cancelled and delayed due to the severe weather conditions in the capital.

Published by Namrata Boruah
Published: December 20, 2025 08:28:40 IST

Delhi on December 20, 2025, was under the spell of severe winter weather condition as the city and the whole National Capital Region experienced very thick fog and the air quality getting worse day by day. Simultaneously, the Air Quality Index (AQI) went up into the severe category in many localities, some even reporting readings of over 400, which rendered the air very unfit for living and commuting. The authorities advised people, more so those with breathing problems, children, and the elderly, to avoid going out as the fog combined with smog would lead to extremely unhealthy breathing conditions that could be even dangerous.

Weather Today In Delhi

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert and warned the people about very dense fog especially in the early morning and forenoon hours when the visibility throughout the capital was at its lowest. The very dense fog caused extremely low visibility which was one of the major reasons behind the disrupting of airline operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) and other nearby airports. Due to the low visibility conditions, safety measures were implemented and thus, flights were cancelled and delayed, with the number of flights cancelled almost reaching 177 and hundreds more delayed. Nevertheless, airport officials were utilizing CAT III low visibility protocols, the dense fog still caused notices from the airlines such as IndiGo and Air India that were advising the passengers very strongly to check the flight statuses before heading to the airport.

Temperature Delhi

The dangerous air quality has highlighted the pollution problem in Delhi during the winter months which has been getting worse. This situation has been made worse by a mix of weather that does not move, emissions from vehicles, dust from construction, and burning of regional crops. The long duration of unhealthy air quality has led to the activation of emergency measures as per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), thereby imposing restrictions on some activities to bring down pollution levels.