Dense fog and cold wave to disrupt travel plans in these Indian states; what travellers need to know

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a comprehensive weather warning for large parts of the country, forecasting cold wave to severe cold wave conditions, dense to very dense fog, and isolated heavy rainfall over the coming days. According to the All India Weather Summary and Forecast Bulletin issued on January 12, 2026, 08:02 AM, winter conditions are expected to intensify across north, northwest, and eastern India, while southern states may witness rainfall and squally weather.The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on January 12, due to the persistence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over south coastal Tamil Nadu and the adjoining Gulf of Mannar. This weather system is likely to bring scattered rainfall activity across parts of the southern peninsula, including Kerala and Lakshadweep during the early part of the forecast period. Severe winter conditions are forecast to grip Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Jharkhand and Bihar between January 12 and January 14. The IMD has indicated that cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in several pockets of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, with cold wave conditions extending to neighbouring states.Cold day conditions, marked by significantly lower daytime temperatures, are expected to prevail in isolated parts of Bihar from January 12 to January 16. Jharkhand may also experience cold wave conditions during the middle of the week.Temperature data from January 11 shows widespread departures below normal across much of northern, central and eastern India. The lowest minimum temperature recorded over the plains was 0.4°C at Phalodi in Rajasthan, highlighting the intensity of the cold spell. Conversely, the highest maximum of 35.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Honavar in Karnataka, exhibiting intense regional variation.Among the major concerns brought out in the IMD bulletin is the presence of dense to very dense fog conditions during morning hours in vast areas of North India. Very dense fog conditions are already existing at a few places in Punjab and West Rajasthan, while dense fog is present in Bihar, eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Northeast areas.Visibility levels fell sharply in some areas, with zero visibility in Sriganganagar in Rajasthan and Amritsar in Punjab, and less than 200 meters in cities like Chandigarh, Varanasi, and Aizawl.The IMD has warned that dense fog is likely to continue over Uttar Pradesh till January 18, while Bihar may experience fog till January 17. Other affected regions include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya, and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on different days during the forecast period.The weather advisory message indicates that fog and low temperatures are likely to affect transport and aviation operations. Such conditions are likely to disrupt flight schedules, cause train delays, and pose a danger when driving on the highways.The dense fog might result in traffic congestion and accidents on the roads if certain precautions are not taken. The IMD has asked road users to switch on fog lights, drive at moderate speed, and be aware of airline and railway notifications.Meteorological analysis indicates the presence of a subtropical westerly jet stream over northeast India, with a trough in middle tropospheric westerlies currently influencing the region. A fresh western disturbance is expected to impact the Western Himalayan region from January 15, bringing scattered to fairly widespread precipitation over the hills and isolated rainfall over adjoining plains.The seven-day rainfall forecast suggests mostly dry weather across much of the country, except for isolated rainfall over southern states and parts of the Western Himalayas. Fog is expected to remain the dominant weather feature over northern India through the week, even as cold wave intensity gradually reduces after mid-January.