Archive · 24 Dec 2025
Fog and Haze Disrupt Travel in North India
A thick fog and bad air quality in North India and Delhi-NCR made it hard for trains and flights to run on time.
Many trains, like the Vande Bharat Express and Rajdhani Express, were very late.
Some flights were also delayed or canceled.
The air quality was very bad, with lots of tiny pollution particles in the air.
People were told to check if their flights were on time before going to the airport.
The fog and bad air made it hard for everyone to travel safely.
The fog also made it hard to see, and the air quality was so bad that it was dangerous to breathe.
The weather is expected to stay cold, and people are being told to stay warm and be careful.
Dense fog and hazardous air quality disrupted train and flight schedules in North India and Delhi-NCR.
Premium trains like Vande Bharat Express and Rajdhani Express were significantly delayed, with some delays up to 10 hours and 30 minutes.
At least 10 flights were cancelled and over 270 were delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport due to low visibility.
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) ranged from 325 to 392, classified as 'very poor' to 'hazardous', with PM2.5 as the dominant pollutant.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued various alerts for fog and cold weather across multiple states, including orange alerts for UP and Bihar, and yellow alerts for several other states.
- Who
- Passengers of trains and flights in North India and Delhi-NCR
- What
- Travel disruptions due to dense fog and hazardous air quality
- When
- December 22-24, 2023
- Where
- North India, Delhi-NCR
- Why
- Dense fog and hazardous air quality causing poor visibility and disrupting travel
- Affected Trains
- Vande Bharat Express, Rajdhani Express, Dibrugarh–New Delhi Rajdhani Express
- Delay Duration
- Up to 10 hours and 30 minutes
- Affected Region
- North India, Delhi-NCR
- Date of Incident
- December 22-24, 2023
- Reason for Delay
- Dense fog causing poor visibility
- Air Quality Index (AQI)
- 325-392 (Very Poor to Hazardous)
- Dominant Pollutant
- PM2.5
- Flights Affected
- At least 10 flights cancelled, over 270 delayed
- Minimum Temperature
- 10.2°C in Delhi, 11°C in Ayodhya, 10°C in Kanpur, 11°C in Moradabad
- Weather Alerts
- Orange alert for fog in UP, Bihar; yellow alerts for fog in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and northeastern states
Sources
Dense fog grips North India: Poor visibility hits rail traffic; Vande Bharat, Rajdhani among trains delayed by hours
Delhi Shrouded In Thick Fog; IGI Airport, SpiceJet Issue Advisory As Flights Face Delays
Attention Flyers! How to check your Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet flight status amid low visibility in Delhi-NCR
IMD alert! Delhi braces for intense cold, dense fog set to disrupt travel; Delhi airport issues advisory
Smog Engulfs Delhi-NCR As Air Quality Prevails In 'Very Poor'
Dense fog blankets parts of North India; at least 10 flights cancelled at Delhi Airport
Cold snap grips Telangana as Temperatures drop, likely to fall further
Delhi’s AQI moves from ‘severe’ to ‘very poor’ category
Weather update: Rains likely in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, orange alert for fog in UP, Bihar
Delhi struggles to breathe as toxic smog blankets city, AQI stays ‘very poor’
North India Weather Live Updates: Delhi wakes up to thick blanket of smog, ‘very poor’ air quality
Fog Grounds Flights: January Now Worst Month For Air Travel Disruptions
Delhi Airport Sees 16 Flight Cancellations Due To Fog, Low Visibility
Delhi Airport Sees 16 Flight Cancellations on Wednesday
