On Wednesday, 17 December 2025, people across North India woke up with the feeling that winter is finally here. The weather across India continues to bring challenging conditions for residents and travellers, with dense fog, cold waves and low visibility. There is even potential mountain snowfall shaping conditions from the plains to the high Himalayas. As per the latest bulletins from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the weather pattern today is marked by a cold wave over the northern plains and extensive fog advisories.Let’s have a closer look:Delhi NCRIn Delhi NCR, 17 December will bring a cold and foggy morning. But skies are expected to remain clear with maximum temperatures around 22–24 °C with minimums falling near 9–11 °C. Early-morning fog is likely to remain shallow to moderate, with visibility reduced. Travel may be disrupted.Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, ChandigarhAcross much of North India’s plains, the winter is going to be intense. Fog is also predicted during the early hours. In Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow and Kanpur will see extremely low visibility from fog. The road travel will be slow and also affect railway and flight schedules. The chilly weather has created cold wave conditions across the country. The cold wave is likely over Telangana, North Interior Karnataka and West Madhya Pradesh on 17–18 December. Temperatures would remain below normal in many districts. People are urged to wear warm clothing and take precautions.Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand In the Himalayan states particularly Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, a weak Western Disturbance is predicted. Under its influence, light rain and snowfall is possible. Prominent hill stations such as Kullu, Manali and Shimla may experience intermittent snow showers. Northeast IndiaParts of the Northeast, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, are also likely to wake up to thick fog on 17–20 December. South IndiaParts of South India, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, are predicted for isolated thunderstorms and lightning between 16–18 December. IMD AdvisoryThe IMD has urged residents and travellers to keep a check on local weather updates and plan travel with fog and low visibility in mind.
Weather alert for 17 December: IMD issues dense fog, cold wave and snowfall warnings across India
