The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a comprehensive winter bulletin on the morning of 17 December predicting dense fog across large parts of the northern plains, snowfall in the western Himalayas and a cold-wave sweep over Telangana and interior Karnataka. Minimum temperatures in Delhi, Lucknow and Chandigarh dipped into single digits, while hill stations such as Shimla prepared for light snow.
IMD warned that early-morning visibility would drop sharply in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and eastern Uttar Pradesh, prompting airport authorities and Indian Railways to activate low-visibility protocols. Airlines have already re-timed or cancelled select dawn departures; rail operators expect cascading delays of up to two hours on flagship Shatabdi and Rajdhani services.
In view of these potential disruptions, travellers—especially those making last-minute itinerary changes—may also need fast, reliable visa assistance. VisaHQ offers an online platform that can expedite Indian visa processing, provide real-time status updates and help ensure that paperwork does not become another hurdle when flight or train schedules shift unexpectedly. For details on all Indian visa categories and streamlined applications, visit https://www.visahq.com/india/.
![IMD issues nationwide cold-wave and fog alert; business travellers face multi-modal delays]()
For corporations, the simultaneous impact on air, rail and road means traditional back-up plans—such as switching from flight to train—may not work. Logistics providers are diverting high-value cargo to southern ports, and procurement teams have been told to pad delivery schedules by at least 48 hours.
Health and safety teams are advising field workers to carry thermal gear and warning of heightened risks for employees driving long distances after late-night shifts. Travel managers should circulate IMD’s daily now-cast links and encourage executives to avoid tight same-day meetings across multiple cities until the cold-wave phase abates.
The IMD bulletin also alerts residents of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to isolated thunderstorms, underlining the pan-India nature of this week’s weather volatility.
IMD warned that early-morning visibility would drop sharply in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana and eastern Uttar Pradesh, prompting airport authorities and Indian Railways to activate low-visibility protocols. Airlines have already re-timed or cancelled select dawn departures; rail operators expect cascading delays of up to two hours on flagship Shatabdi and Rajdhani services.
In view of these potential disruptions, travellers—especially those making last-minute itinerary changes—may also need fast, reliable visa assistance. VisaHQ offers an online platform that can expedite Indian visa processing, provide real-time status updates and help ensure that paperwork does not become another hurdle when flight or train schedules shift unexpectedly. For details on all Indian visa categories and streamlined applications, visit https://www.visahq.com/india/.
For corporations, the simultaneous impact on air, rail and road means traditional back-up plans—such as switching from flight to train—may not work. Logistics providers are diverting high-value cargo to southern ports, and procurement teams have been told to pad delivery schedules by at least 48 hours.
Health and safety teams are advising field workers to carry thermal gear and warning of heightened risks for employees driving long distances after late-night shifts. Travel managers should circulate IMD’s daily now-cast links and encourage executives to avoid tight same-day meetings across multiple cities until the cold-wave phase abates.
The IMD bulletin also alerts residents of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to isolated thunderstorms, underlining the pan-India nature of this week’s weather volatility.
