The Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert in Delhi. The Meteorological Department has predicted that there may be dense fog in Delhi on Saturday (January 3) morning and it will affect the visibility. IMD said that cold wave conditions are expected to persist in many places of Delhi from January 3 to 6. The average AQI of Delhi in the last 24 hours was 236. The maximum temperature was recorded at 17.4 and the minimum temperature was 9.1 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 17.4 degrees Celsius in Lodhi Road, 17.2 in Ayanagar, 14 in Ridge and 16.4 degrees Celsius in Palam.

What will be the temperature on January 3?

The minimum temperature was recorded at 9 degree Celsius in Palam and Lodhi Road, 8.7 degree Celsius in Ridge and 8.1 degree Celsius in Ayanagar. On Saturday (January 3), the minimum temperature is expected to be 7 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature will be 18 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has also predicted cold wave in some parts of Haryana.

Grape-3 restrictions removed from Delhi-NCR

Earlier on Friday, Group 3 restrictions were lifted in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding areas. There was a significant improvement in AQI till 4 pm on Friday and it was recorded at 236, which shows a positive trend. “All actions under the first and second phase of GRAP will remain in force in NCR.”

Demolition activities will now be allowed

Permission has been given to resume non-essential construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR. Subject to compliance with pollution control norms, works such as earthwork, piling, digging pits, welding, painting, plastering, tiling and flooring can be resumed, the official statement said, adding that stone breaking, brick kilns and mining activities will also continue. Permission has also been given to transport construction materials including cement and sand.

Restrictions on vehicles also removed

The restrictions imposed on vehicles during the third phase have also been removed. The statement said that BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers can run on the roads, while the ban on non-essential diesel-powered medium goods vehicles has been lifted.

On Wednesday, the last day of the year 2025, the capital Delhi was seen in the grip of dense fog. Due to the dense fog, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport were badly affected, where a total of more than 300 flights were affected due to very low visibility since morning. As per available information, 148 flights were cancelled, which included 78 arrivals and 70 departures, while around 200 flights were delayed and 2 flights had to be diverted.

Airlines issued travel advisory

Many airlines including IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet have issued travel advisories for passengers. Airlines have appealed to passengers to check the latest status of their flights before going to the airport. Delhi’s IGI Airport said that due to dense fog, flights are being operated under CAT III protocol, due to which there is a possibility of delay or cancellation.

The airport said, ‘Our ground teams are present on the spot and are helping the passengers. For latest information, passengers should contact their respective airlines. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Railway services also affected, passengers worried at stations
The effect of fog was also seen on railway services. Trains ran late on many routes, due to which the crowd and waiting of passengers increased at the railway stations of the capital. The speed of trains remained slow due to poor visibility.

Delhi’s air is also very bad
Along with fog, there was no improvement in the air quality of Delhi either. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s Sameer app, Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 383 at 6:05 am on Wednesday, which is in the ‘very poor’ category and has reached the ‘severe’ level.

Travelers advised to be cautious
The administration and airlines have appealed to the passengers to check the flight and train status before leaving home and take extra time to plan their journey, so that inconvenience caused due to fog can be avoided.

As soon as the winter holidays have started, the process of traveling across the country has intensified and in this sequence, domestic and foreign tourists are reaching Agra to see the Taj Mahal of India, which is included in the seven wonders of the world. But this time his sight remained incomplete.

Dense fog covered the Taj Mahal to such an extent that tourists could not see it. This situation amid the cold weather seemed to have a direct impact on the tourism of Agra and the hopes of the tourists who had come to see the Taj Mahal were dashed.

Taj Mahal disappears in dense fog

As the temperature dropped in Agra, there was dense fog in the morning. With the further drop in temperature, the Taj Mahal is hidden in a blanket of dense fog. In the initial hours, Taj Mahal was completely seen wrapped in fog.

Nothing was clearly visible from the main gate of the Taj Mahal to the main dome. Tourists who had come with the dream of seeing the Taj in the first rays of the sun looked disappointed. Due to fog, the grandeur of the Taj Mahal remained hidden from view and this scene reflected the harshness of winter.

VIDEO | Agra: The iconic Taj Mahal fades into a dense blanket of fog as temperatures dip further, intensifying the winter chill across Northern India. Early morning visuals show the monument shrouded in fog, presenting a striking winter spectacle.#Agra #WinterChill #Fog

(Full… pic.twitter.com/K62ng79T0X

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 27, 2025

Effect on photography and views also

Due to dense fog, tourists could not even do photography in the shadow of Taj Mahal. It became difficult to see the Taj Mahal even from Mehtab Bagh due to fog. Tourists who had planned to take beautiful pictures of the Taj had to return empty handed. The fog spread all around reduced visibility considerably.

Similarly, due to poisonous smog in Delhi NCR, haze was seen in many areas in the morning. This combination of cold and pollution in North India affected the normal life as well as tourism activities. Disappointment was clearly visible among the tourists who had come to see the Taj Mahal. Many tourists who came early in the morning to visit were seen returning disappointed.