Dense fog engulfs Delhi-NCR; poor visibility delays train, flight operations

On Tuesday morning, Delhi was shrouded in dense fog as temperatures dropped to 7 degrees Celsius, slightly below the usual seasonal average. Multiple areas in the city, including Safdarjung, Anand Vihar, and India Gate, experienced low visibility due to the foggy conditions.

Reports from Delhi’s main weather station at Safdarjung indicated visibility as low as 200 meters at 5:30 am, with Palam recording 100 meters visibility. The adverse weather conditions led to the delay of approximately 30 flights, encompassing both domestic and international routes, at the Delhi airport. Additionally, the arrival schedule of 14 trains was also affected due to the fog.

The weather forecast predicts the possibility of very dense fog in isolated pockets of Delhi and its surrounding regions. This followed a similar situation on Monday, where the city was blanketed by thick fog, and the minimum temperature was recorded at 7.8 degrees Celsius.

Simultaneously, the Air Quality Index (AQI) for the national capital remained at 374, categorizing it as “very poor” at 9:05 am. The AQI scale defines values between zero and 50 as “good,” 51 to 100 as “satisfactory,” 101 to 200 as “moderate,” 201 to 300 as “poor,” 301 to 400 as “very poor,” and 401 to 500 as “severe”.

During this period, five flights were diverted while approximately 30 flights encountered delays at Delhi airport due to the dense fog. According to airport authorities, flights were redirected to Jaipur between 8:30 am to 10:00 am, including one IndiGo and SpiceJet flight.

In a notification posted on X, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a fog alert around 7:30 am, stating that although landings and takeoffs were ongoing, non-CAT III compliant flights might face disruptions. CAT III compliance is essential for operating flights in low visibility conditions.

DIAL urged passengers to stay updated by contacting their respective airlines for the latest flight information and expressed regret for any inconveniences caused due to the weather-related disruptions. (With inputs from PTI)