Dense fog in parts of Delhi, minimum temperature at 9.4 degrees Celsius

Parts of Delhi experienced dense fog on Friday morning as the mercury settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weather office predicted shallow to moderate fog and cold day conditions in certain areas of the national capital throughout the day.

Isolated pockets over Punjab and Delhi observed very dense fog early in the morning, with parts of Delhi shrouded in dense fog, IMD said.

At 8:30 am, the Safardjung Observatory noted a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, slightly above the usual, while the Ridge Observatory recorded a low of 9.1 degrees Celsius.

An orange alert was issued for Delhi for the day, indicating the likelihood of shallow to moderate fog and cold day conditions in some places, officials said.

Visibility dropped to 50 meters at Palam by 8:30 am, leading to delays in at least 22 trains due to poor visibility, as reported by railway officials.

On Thursday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.7 degrees Celsius (slightly higher than usual) and a maximum of 12.5 degrees Celsius.

As of 9 am on Friday, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 352 (classified as ‘very poor’), according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

The AQI scale categorizes air quality as ‘good’ between zero and 50, ‘satisfactory’ between 51 and 100, ‘moderate’ between 101 and 200, ‘poor’ between 201 and 300, ‘very poor’ between 301 and 400, and ‘severe’ between 401 and 500. (With inputs from PTI)