Delhi continued to grapple with very poor air quality and dense fog on New Year’s Eve, causing widespread disruption to air, rail and road traffic across the national capital.

An average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 384 was recorded at 8 am on Wednesday, marginally better than 388 at 4 pm on Tuesday, but still firmly in the “very poor” category. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, pollution levels are expected to worsen to the “severe” category until January 1, before easing slightly to “very poor” on January 2. From January 3 onwards, air quality is likely to remain very poor for at least six days.

Fog brings travel chaos

Dense fog significantly reduced visibility, which dropped to 50 metres at Palam between 4 am and 8 am, severely impacting flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

• 148 flights were cancelled on Wednesday
• On Tuesday, over 550 flights were delayed
• 118 flights were cancelled and 16 diverted due to adverse weather
• Two diversions were reported at Delhi airport on Wednesday

Rail services were also affected, with over 50 trains running late under the Delhi division of Northern Railways.

Cold but near normal temperatures

The minimum temperature dipped to 6.4°C, which is around normal for this time of year, though notably lower than 9.4°C recorded a day earlier.

December pollution tally

Delhi has already recorded:

• Five ‘severe’ air quality days in December
• Eight severe air days in total in 2025

With pollution and fog expected to persist into the new year, authorities have advised residents and travellers to remain cautious, especially those with respiratory conditions and those planning air or rail journeys.