The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had accurately forecast a spell of dense fog and cold wave conditions across vast swathes of India starting around January 6, 2026. The initial warning indicated that states in northwest, central, east, and northeast India would experience dense fog in morning hours, alongside intensifying cold day conditions. This prediction has largely materialized and these harsh winter conditions, characterized by persistent dense to very dense fog and severe cold waves, have continued to grip several parts of the country through January 11, 2026, and are expected to persist in some regions. Northern states such as Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi have been particularly affected by extremely poor visibility, with several areas reporting visibility dropping to zero meters at airports and major roadways, including Amritsar, Jammu Airport, Agra, Kanpur, and Prayagraj. This has led to significant disruptions in air, rail, and road traffic, prompting airlines like IndiGo and Air India to issue travel advisories for passengers. Beyond fog, cold wave and severe cold day conditions have been observed across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, with minimum temperatures dipping below normal, sometimes even below 0°C in parts of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. The IMD has issued "orange alerts" for dense fog in multiple states, including Delhi, until at least January 13. While North and Central India grapple with these severe winter conditions, the southern coastal states, particularly Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, are simultaneously bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall and squally weather due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. This comprehensive weather pattern underscores the wide-ranging impact on daily life and public safety across the Indian subcontinent.