Dense fog has enveloped several northern and eastern states of India, severely impacting visibility and prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue urgent weather warnings. The meteorological department reported very dense fog in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, and East Uttar Pradesh. Commuters in Ganganagar, Patiala, Ambala, Chandigarh, Palam, Safdarjung, Bareilly, Lucknow, Bahraich, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Tezpur faced zero-metre visibility, causing substantial disruptions.

The challenging conditions led to delays in at least 22 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country, according to Northern Railways. The IMD has advised extreme caution on highways, urging the use of fog lights and even suggesting halting journeys until visibility improves. A comprehensive weather warning has been issued, anticipating dense to very dense fog in multiple regions, with additional alerts for cold day to severe cold day conditions in several areas. The foggy conditions are expected to persist until mid-January in various affected states, emphasizing the need for heightened caution during travel.