Dense fog disrupts North India as Akasa Air flights face delays, cancellations

New Delhi: Akasa Air reported delays and cancellations on several flights on Sunday morning as dense fog continued to affect parts of northern India, especially Delhi and Srinagar. The airline has advised passengers to verify their flight status before proceeding to the airport.

Minimum temperatures plunged across north India late on Saturday following widespread snowfall in the hills and rain in the plains. Several key roads in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh remained closed for the second consecutive day, disrupting traffic and the movement of essential goods.

In a post on X, Akasa Air said, "Due to fog in Northern India, some flights across our network have been impacted. We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may cause to your travel plans and appreciate your understanding during this time. Your comfort and care remain our priority. While the weather situation is beyond our control, our dedicated teams on ground and at our 24x7 Akasa Care Centre are always available to assist you and provide support through any changes to your journey."

Delhi AQI improves after over 3 months

After nearly three and a half months of hazardous pollution, Delhi’s air quality on Sunday morning improved to the ‘moderate’ category, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 150. The improvement followed rainfall that provided temporary relief from the prolonged pollution spell.

The national capital woke up to clear skies with no fog on Sunday, contrary to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast which had predicted shallow to moderate fog. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) withdrew Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR following the improvement in air quality.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Delhi-NCR is expected to witness partly cloudy skies with surface winds of 10–15 km/h. Shallow fog is likely during night hours, while the temperature was recorded at 7.4°C.

Even as GRAP Stage III is being withdrawn, authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious. Given the winter season and the possibility of unfavourable weather conditions, residents are advised to strictly follow the citizen charter under GRAP Stages II and I to prevent any further deterioration in air quality.

According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the capital last recorded ‘moderate’ air quality on October 13, 2025, when the AQI stood at 189. Between October 1 and October 13, Delhi experienced nine days of moderate air before pollution levels worsened sharply.

The IMD forecast predicted dense to very dense fog in isolated areas of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab on January 25 and 26.

Thunderstorms in the South, fog in the East

The IMD has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in Tamil Nadu over the weekend and in Kerala on January 26. A gradual rise of 2–4 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures is expected in Gujarat over the next three days. Dense fog is also likely in isolated pockets of West Bengal and Sikkim on January 25 and 26.

Cold wave tightens grip on North India

The Kashmir Valley is currently experiencing Chilla-i-Kalan, the 40-day harsh winter period. The meteorological department has predicted light rain and snow at isolated places over the weekend, with another western disturbance likely to affect the region on Monday, bringing light to moderate rain or snowfall across many areas.

Flight operations resumed at Srinagar airport on Saturday, although night temperatures remained well below freezing across the valley. Heavy snowfall had resulted in the cancellation of all flights at Sringar airport on Friday.

 Gulmarg in Baramulla district was the coldest location in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 12 degrees Celsius, followed by Sonamarg at minus 10.5 degrees. Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius. Tourists thronged the hill destination of Gulmarg to experience the snowfall.

Large-scale road clearance operations are underway to reopen the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway and other major routes that were closed due to slippery conditions after snowfall. Hundreds of commuters stranded on the 270-kilometre highway were evacuated and provided food and shelter by the Army, police and civil administration.

In Himachal Pradesh, intense cold and overcast skies persisted a day after heavy snowfall. Traffic was disrupted on more than 680 roads, including two national highways. Snowfall also affected 5,775 power transformers, leaving thousands of households without electricity. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest temperature in the state at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius.

The weather department has warned of heavy snowfall in higher reaches on January 25 and issued a yellow alert for dense fog and cold wave conditions in several districts.

Freezing nights across Rajasthan and Punjab

Parts of Rajasthan experienced near-freezing night temperatures, with Lunkaransar in Bikaner recording the state’s lowest at 0.3 degrees Celsius. Mount Abu logged a minimum of 0.6 degrees, while Jaipur recorded 9.4 degrees. The Met department has forecast a further drop in temperatures due to cold northerly winds.

Cold conditions also intensified in Punjab and Haryana. Bathinda was the coldest in both states at 0.8 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal. Hisar recorded 1.6 degrees, while Faridkot and Ferozepur reported lows of 1 degree and 1.6 degrees, respectively. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius.

(With agency inputs)