Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Friday prohibited trekking, camping, hiking and similar outdoor activities in high altitude and forested areas ok Kokernag, citing "security reasons".

The cold spell in Rajasthan is set to intensify from Sunday, with night temperatures likely to drop to around 4 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, according to Radheshyam Sharma, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Jaipur.

He said a cold wave will grip the state, leading to a drop of 4 to 6 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures across several regions.

Due to severe cold conditions, Anganwadi centres in Sri Ganganagar have been closed until January 10.

Due to a clear night sky, the minimum temperature dropped throughout Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, and the Meteorological (MeT) Department has forecast cloudy, but mostly dry weather for the next 48 hours.

Srinagar city had one degree Celsius, Gulmarg minus 7 and Pahalgam minus 6.2 degrees as the minimum temperature.

Jammu city had 6 degrees Celsius, Katra town 6.5, Batote 2.8, Banihal minus 1.1 and Bhaderwah minus 2.8 degrees as the night’s lowest temperature.

A large-scale bulldozer drive is underway in Rajasthan's Chomu following notices issued to 20 illegal slaughterhouses in Pathans’ Mohalla, with the administration also preparing action against unauthorised constructions. Heavy police deployment has been put in place to maintain law and order, with senior officers monitoring the situation on the ground.

The action comes in the wake of a dispute over alleged encroachment near a mosque in Chomu, during which incidents of stone-pelting were reported.

Winter conditions in Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) are set to intensify, with the weather department forecasting cold wave conditions in the coming days. Even as temperatures are expected to drop further, the city has seen a noticeable improvement in air quality on Friday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated locations in Delhi between January 2 and 5. A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature falls between 4.5 and 6.5 degrees Celsius below the normal average.

On the first day of the New Year, major temples across Rajasthan witnessed massive crowds of devotees, with long queues and heavy traffic jams from the early hours of the morning.

In Jaipur, devotees began lining up outside Govinddevji Temple and Motidungri Ganeshji Temple as early as 4 a.m. The heavy influx of pilgrims led to congestion at Badi Chaupar and Chandi Ki Taksal Road in the walled city (Parkote area).

Most of the vehicles entering the area were carrying devotees seeking darshan at Govinddevji Temple. In Sikar, the doors of Khatushyamji Temple have been opened continuously for the past 6 day, and devotees on Thursday will be allowed darshan until late in the night.

Rajasthan experienced widespread rain, hailstorms, dense fog, and an intense cold wave on Thursday, marking a chilly start to the New Year across the state.

Intermittent rainfall was reported in several districts, including Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Kota, and Sikar. Chittorgarh received heavy rain for about half an hour around 5 a.m., while Ramgarh (Sikar) also witnessed intense showers.

Light snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of Kashmir Valley during the last 12 hours as the plains were lashed by rain on Thursday.

The revellers had a great time in Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts, where snowfall occurred on the New Year's Eve. The tourists could be seen singing and dancing to welcome the new year.

Scores of tourists also gathered at the city centre, Lal Chowk in Srinagar, braving the winter chill to usher in the new year.

Flight operations across several parts of northern and eastern India, including Delhi, were affected on Thursday as dense fog engulfed large swathes of the region, sharply reducing visibility and prompting airlines to issue advisories for passengers.

Low visibility conditions led to disruptions at multiple airports, including those in Delhi, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati, with airlines cautioning travellers to remain alert and check flight updates to avoid inconvenience.

The New Year 2026 began on a wet note for Mumbaikars as several parts of the country's financial capital witnessed rain early Thursday morning, altering the usual festive atmosphere associated with the first day of the year.

Instead of greeting the New Year with bright sunshine, parts of Mumbai, particularly the island city, woke up to rainfall.

Showers began shortly before 6 a.m., with some areas experiencing moderate rain while others reported light drizzling. The intensity of the rain gradually eased after around 6.15 a.m.

Braving biting cold, hundreds of devotees thronged the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab and other shrines in the region early on Thursday to usher in the New Year.

At the Golden Temple complex, around 250 km from here, the devotees queued up since midnight to offer prayers. Long queues could be seen on Thursday morning with people waiting for their turn to offer prayers inside the 'Harmandir Sahib', the sanctum sanctorum.

Delhi woke up to yet another grim morning under a thick blanket of pollution and biting cold, with air quality continuing to remain in the "very poor" category as fog and low temperatures tightened their grip on the national capital on the New Year.

According to the latest data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi stood at 372, reflecting sustained high pollution levels across the city.

A man was charred to death in a collision between two vehicles in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district on Wednesday.

Police said a Bolero vehicle caught fire after colliding with an unidentified vehicle on the Nandyal-Amaravati highway. The driver was trapped in the fire and was charred to death. Another person travelling in the same vehicle was injured.

The accident occurred near Rangareddypalle village in Racharla mandal around 5.45 a.m.

All higher reaches of Kashmir received snowfall in the last 12 hours as the minimum temperature rose above the freezing point on Wednesday, everywhere except Gulmarg ski resort.

Tourists presently in the Valley to celebrate New Year's Eve were thrilled to witness snowfall in Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts. Snowfall on New Year's Eve gave the perfect setting to this year’s celebrations as a pristine blanket of white covered the ground in Gulmarg and other places of tourist interest.

The death toll in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, where a large number of people fell ill over the last few days, allegedly after drinking contaminated water in the Bhagirathpura area of the city, has risen to eight.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered the suspension of two municipal officials, and one public health engineer has been removed from service.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light rain or drizzle in some areas of Bikaner, Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions of Rajasthan on Wednesday.

A weather alert has been issued for several parts of the state due to the influence of an active Western Disturbance.

The department has also forecast light rainfall in some areas of the Bikaner, Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions on Thursday.

The year 2025’s final morning began on a grim note for residents of Delhi-NCR as dense fog, severe cold, and hazardous air quality combined to disrupt daily life across large parts of North India.

A sharp drop in temperature, extremely low visibility and poor pollution levels significantly impacted road, rail and air travel, causing delays and inconvenience for thousands of commuters and passengers.

At least four people were killed and 12 others were severely injured in a road accident on National Highway-30 in Maihar district, said officials on Tuesday.

The incident on Monday evening occurred near Tiloura village under the Nadan police station area when a speeding passenger vehicle, carrying members of the Patel family from Padariya village in neighbouring Katni district, crashed into a container truck.

The collision was not head-on but from behind, yet the impact was severe enough to cause widespread chaos at the scene. According to police, the vehicle carrying the passengers rammed into the rear of the truck with tremendous force, mangling the front portion of the passenger vehicle.

At least six people were killed after a bus carrying around 18 passengers lost control and plunged into a deep ravine on the Bhikiyasain-Vinayak road in Uttarakhand's Almora district on Tuesday morning, officials said.

According to official sources, the accident took place near Shilapani on the Bhikiyasain-Vinayak-Jalali motor road. The bus was travelling from Bhikiyasain to Ramnagar and had departed from Dwarahat at around 6 a.m.

Around 200 shops in Birati's Jadu Babu's market in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district were gutted in a fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday.

The shops were reduced to ashes, and the goods and assets inside perished, leaving the owners and workers in shock. Preliminary reports said there were no reports of casualties.

The famous market is located adjacent to Birati railway station and frequented by locals and passengers.

Sources said the devastating fire broke out around 1.30 a.m., which spread rapidly within moments due to strong winds blowing from the north.

 All roads in the higher reaches of Kashmir were closed on Tuesday as the Meteorological (MeT) Department forecast rain and snow in J&K during the next two days beginning Tuesday afternoon.

The MeT Department has forecast snow in the higher reaches and rain in the plains during the next two days. Travellers and transporters have been advised to follow the advisory by the traffic department and the various administrative departments.

A combination of winter chill, severe air pollution, and dense fog on Tuesday created a dire situation across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). Authorities have issued an alert for extremely dense fog for two consecutive days, while the Air Quality Index (AQI) has exceeded 450 in several areas, raising serious health concerns.

The situation worsened significantly, with visibility dropping to zero in many locations on Monday night. This severely disrupted road, rail, and air traffic, causing delays and safety risks for commuters.

The New Year in Rajasthan is likely to begin with cold winds and winter showers, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast for light rain in parts of the state.

According to the IMD, a Western Disturbance will become active on December 31 and January 1, bringing light rainfall to northern and western Rajasthan.

Railways have set up helpline numbers to provide assistance and train running information following the fire in the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express at Andhra Pradesh's Yelamanchili early on Monday.

South Central Railway (SCR) set up the following helpline numbers: Yelamanchili – 7815909386, Anakapalli – 7569305669, Tuni – 7815909479, Samalkot – 7382629990, Rajahmundry - 088 – 32420541, 088 – 32420543, Eluru – 7569305268, and Vijayawada - 0866 – 2575167.

Due to heavy nightlong cloud cover, night temperatures rose above the freezing point throughout the Kashmir Valley on Monday except the ski resort of Gulmarg, weather officials said.

Met Department officials said the minimum temperature rose above the freezing point in the Valley, except Gulmarg, where it was minus 2 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar city logged a minimum of 3 and Pahalgam 0.2 degrees Celsius.

Jammu city was at 9.1 degrees Celsius, Katra town at 9.2, Batote at 7.3, Banihal at 4.8 and Bhaderwah at 3.3 degrees.

 Due to dense fog, plummeting temperatures, and rising pollution levels, the district administration of Gautam Buddha Nagar has ordered a four-day closure of all schools in the district.

As per the directive issued late Sunday night by the office of the District Basic Education Officer (DBEO), under the instructions of the District Magistrate, all recognised schools -- whether affiliated with CBSE, ICSE, IB, UP Board, or any other board -- will remain closed from December 29, 2025, to January 1, 2026.

The order covers classes from nursery up to grade 12.

A passenger was killed, and more than 150 had a narrow escape after two AC compartments of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Junction Super-Fast Express caught fire near Visakhapatnam in the wee hours of Monday, police said.

The fire broke out in the train at Yelamanchili in Anakapalli district, about 66 km from Visakhapatnam.

Upon noticing the fire in the running train, a passenger pulled the chain to stop it at Yelamanchili Railway Station and alerted the railway staff, who in turn alerted the fire department.

Delhi woke up to another hazardous winter morning on Monday as a toxic mix of dense fog and severe air pollution engulfed the national capital, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) beyond 400and sharply reducing visibility.

The national capital was blanketed in thick smog on Monday morning, with the overall AQI recorded at 402 at 7 a.m., placing it firmly in the ‘severe’ category.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast largely dry weather conditions across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal over the next two days, attributing the change to variations in the easterly wind pattern prevailing over the region.

While widespread rainfall is not expected, the department has cautioned residents about early morning fog, slightly lower night temperatures in select areas, and strong surface winds along the coastal belt.

According to the IMD, light mist or fog may form during the early morning hours in isolated pockets across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.

Tourists have arrived in appreciable numbers in the Kashmir Valley these days to welcome the New Year.

Minimum temperature dropped notches below the freezing point in the Valley on Saturday as the Pahalgam hill station recorded minus 4.8 as the night's lowest temperature.

After many months, hotels in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are reporting full occupancy these days.

Altaf Ahmad, general manager of a hotel in Gulmarg, told, "We are completely sold out this time."

Four members of a family, including three infants, died after inhaling toxic fumes from a charcoal brazier in Chhapra city of Bihar, while three others are battling for their lives, police said on Saturday.

Three other family members are battling for their lives and remain in critical condition, the police added.

According to information, the family had lit a charcoal brazier inside their room to protect themselves from the severe cold on Friday night. As the room was closed, carbon monoxide gas accumulated, causing all the occupants to lose consciousness.

Three people were killed in a road accident caused by dense fog in West Bengal's Alipurduar district on Saturday.

According to the police, the incident occurred due to a head-on collision between a small car and a 12-wheeler trailer. After the accident, the trailer fell into a ditch beside the road.

Police said that a small car was travelling towards Siliguri in north Bengal. The trailer was coming from the opposite direction.

The accident took place in the Garam Basati area of National Highway 31 in Alipurduar after an overtaking manoeuvre failed.

The situation remains tense in Chomu town near Jaipur on Saturday following violence triggered by a dispute over the installation of railings outside a religious place.

To prevent the spread of rumours and maintain law and order, the administration has extended the suspension of WhatsApp and social media services for another 24 hours, till 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Divisional Commissioner Poonam issued orders extending the internet shutdown after receiving a report from the Police Commissioner.

Two people were killed when a car fell into a ditch following a collision with an unknown vehicle on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, police said on Friday.

The accident occurred near pillar number 246 around 11 p.m. on Thursday. Both the men in the car were residents of Gujarat.

After receiving information about the accident, the Baunli Police reached the spot and took the deceased and the injured to the Baunli Community Health Centre (CHC).

According to the information, the two young men in the car were going to Gujarat.

A severe cold wave accompanied by chilly winds has tightened its grip over Rajasthan, causing a sharp dip in temperatures across the state. The Meteorological Department on Friday forecast intensified cold conditions over the next three to four days and issued a yellow alert for 11 districts in northeastern Rajasthan.

Karauli in eastern Rajasthan recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 3.6 degrees Celsius, while Pali in the western region registered 5.2 degrees C. Other districts also witnessed biting cold, with Churu at 6.4 degrees C, Nagaur at 6.6 degrees C, Jalore at 6.9 degrees C, Dausa at 5.0 degrees C, Anta-Baran at 5.2 degrees C, and Alwar at 6.0 degrees Celsius.