Flight, train operations hit as dense fog engulfs Delhi

Wednesday morning saw Delhi shrouded in dense fog, significantly reducing visibility in various parts of the city. The minimum temperature was logged at 7.8 degrees Celsius, just above the normal mark.

By 8 am, the Met department had issued an orange alert for the entire city due to persisting low visibility, hovering around 50 meters in many areas.

Over 110 flights were affected at the Delhi airport as dense fog blanketed North India on Wednesday morning, reducing visibility to just 25 meters and disrupting traffic movement. The weather office issued a red alert specifically for “very dense fog” in the national capital as cold wave conditions continued. As a result, there were significant delays in the movement of both flights and trains to and from Delhi.

The color-coded alerts from the IMD indicate different levels of preparedness required: yellow for awareness, orange for readiness, and red for heightened vigilance and immediate action.

Satellite images taken at 5:15 am displayed dense to very dense fog prevailing over Delhi, affecting visibility significantly. Safdarjung’s main weather station recorded 50 meters of visibility, while Palam stood at 125 meters by 5:30 am.

Around 25 trains bound for Delhi experienced delays due to the foggy conditions. However, there’s hope for improvement after 11 am, as suggested by a Skymet official.

“Delhi NCR is blanketed by very dense fog, causing nearly zero visibility in many places. At 7:30 am, Palam reported visibility of 50 meters. Be cautious while driving. Conditions are expected to improve after 11 am,” said Mahesh Palawat, a Skymet official.

Additionally, flight delays and cancellations were anticipated, with dense fog impacting transportation across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and northern Rajasthan, according to Palawat.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) escalated to the “very poor” category at 383, up from 374 recorded at 9:05 am the previous day. The AQI scale categorizes air quality from “good” (0-50) to “severe” (401-500). (With inputs from PTI)