Delhi is facing one of its worst winter weather episodes in years as dense fog and toxic air push the AQI into the ‘severe’ category
New Delhi: Delhi is battling a severe winter weather and pollution crisis, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the 400 mark on Saturday morning and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert for dense fog.
The combination of hazardous air and near-zero visibility has significantly disrupted daily life, particularly air travel.
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At Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, dense fog led to widespread aviation chaos. Visibility dropped to zero at the Safdarjung station and to just 50 metres at the Palam station, prompting the implementation of Low Visibility Procedures (LVP). As a result, 177 flights were cancelled on Friday, including 88 departures and 89 arrivals. More than 700 flights were delayed, with outgoing flights witnessing waiting times of up to 49 minutes. Airlines such as IndiGo and Air India Express have warned of further schedule changes as poor visibility conditions continue.
Delhi’s air quality, which had remained in the ‘very poor’ category earlier in the week, officially entered the ‘severe’ zone on Saturday. While the city’s average AQI stood at 374 on Friday, readings on Saturday morning rose to around 403 across multiple monitoring stations. Pollution hotspots were recorded in Vivek Vihar with an AQI of 434 and Anand Vihar at 430, with nearly a dozen areas reporting emergency-level air toxicity.
Meteorological experts have attributed the worsening air quality to stagnant wind conditions and a strong temperature inversion effect. Falling temperatures have created a “lid-like” atmospheric layer that traps pollutants close to the ground, preventing dispersion. Minimum temperatures in the capital are expected to range between 7°C and 9°C, further intensifying the inversion effect.
The situation has been aggravated by an unusually dry December. The absence of rainfall has eliminated any natural cleansing of airborne pollutants, making this December the dirtiest the city has witnessed in the past eight years. According to forecasts, AQI levels are expected to remain above 400 through Sunday and Monday, raising concerns over prolonged health risks.
Authorities have advised residents to limit outdoor exposure, especially during early morning and late evening hours, while travellers have been urged to check flight statuses before heading to the airport as fog-related disruptions persist.
Published: 20 Dec 2025, 07:23 am IST
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