First cold wave of the season in Delhi, the capital shivered due to cold and fog; temperature reached 16.9 degrees, AQI crossed 400 – 129 flights canceled

By Samira Vishwas On Dec 20, 2025

Cold Wave in Delhi, Weather Update Today: The first cold wave of this season was seen in Delhi on Saturday. Today was the coldest day of December recorded so far, when the maximum temperature dropped to 16.9 degrees Celsius, which is 5.3 degrees below normal. all day long dense fog And there was fog, due to which even the sun appeared hidden behind the clouds.

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According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), for the first time this winter Delhi Has fulfilled the conditions of ‘Cold Wave Day’. Cold wave was recorded at both Safdarjung and Palam weather stations. The maximum temperature recorded in Palam was 16.3 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was 6.1 degrees, which is about two degrees less than normal.

#WATCH Delhi , Visuals around Akshardham area as a layer of toxic smog engulfs the national capital. CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) has invoked all actions under GRAP Stage-IV in Delhi-NCR. AQI (Air Quality Index) around the area is 423, categorized as… pic.twitter.com/uiOMA4ehcw
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

According to IMD, when the maximum temperature drops 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal, it is considered a cold wave.

Delhi airport affected, 129 flights cancelled.

Dense fog and low visibility had a direct impact on air traffic. A total of 129 flights had to be canceled from Delhi Airport, including 66 arrivals and 63 departures. According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) have been implemented and operations are continuing in a controlled manner.

At 8:30 am, visibility was just 200 meters in Safdarjung and 350 meters in Palam. By 12:30 pm it increased to 400 and 600 meters respectively. Light to moderate fog conditions prevailed in most parts of the city throughout the day.

#WATCH Delhi , Visuals around AIIMS as a layer of toxic smog engulfs the national capital. CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) has invoked all actions under GRAP Stage-IV in Delhi-NCR. AQI (Air Quality Index) around the area is 397, categorized as ‘very poor’,… pic.twitter.com/LzXcSxaP00
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

Orange alert issued on Sunday

IMD has issued an orange alert warning of dense to very dense fog for Sunday. The maximum temperature on Sunday is expected to be 23 degrees and the minimum will be 9 degrees.

Smog worsens the situation, AQI at critical level

Along with the weather, Delhi’s air also became more poisonous. The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 398 at 4 pm on Saturday, which is very close to the ‘severe’ category. It increased to 401 at 5 pm. Of the 40 monitoring stations, ‘severe’ air quality was recorded at 22 and ‘very poor’ at 17. The worst conditions were in Chandni Chowk, where AQI reached 464.

#WATCH Drone visuals around Noida Sector-119 as a layer of toxic smog blankets Delhi NCR. AQI (Air Quality Index) in the area is 410, categorized as ‘Severe’, as claimed by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). (Visuals shot around 10.30 am) pic.twitter.com/JuYI8ButEA
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

According to experts, the biggest contribution to pollution was from vehicle smoke (17.5%). This is followed by industry (8.9%), domestic sources (4.3%) and biomass burning (1.5%).

Among NCR districts, Jhajjar (16.5%), Bhiwani (4.2%), Rohtak (4.38%) and Gurugram (2.1%) contributed.

Administration took strict steps to control pollution

The administration has taken strict steps to control pollution. There is a ban on entry of non-Delhi private vehicles which do not meet BS-VI standards. Apart from this, a ban has also been imposed on providing fuel to vehicles without PUC certificate. ANPR cameras, voice alerts and police help are being taken for monitoring.

According to the Meteorological Department, the air quality may remain severe on Sunday and Monday, while it is expected to get some relief from Tuesday and fall into the very poor category.