Delhi’s winter dawn broke under a veil of unrelenting fog on December 15, 2025, as a thick, soupy haze enveloped the national capital, driving visibility to a perilous low of 25 meters in key areas and ushering in one of the season’s most severe cold waves. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) hoisted a red alert for the entire National Capital Region (NCR), forecasting temperatures to plummet to a bone-numbing 3.5 degrees Celsius overnight—the coldest December night since 2020.