Delhi weather updates: A dense layer of fog covered the national capital on Saturday (January 4) reducing visibility to zero in several areas. The weather department has forecast similar conditions in the coming days. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded 10.2 degrees Celsius at around 5.30 am today and an orange alert for fog has been issued. At this time yesterday, the city's temperature was 9.6 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital continued in the 'very poor' category.
Flight operations affected at Delhi airport
Flight operations were affected at the Delhi airport on Saturday due to dense fog and IndiGo has temporarily put departures and arrivals on hold. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), in a post on X, said that due to dense fog, flight operations have been affected at the airport.
"Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," it said.
"#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility," IndiGo said in a post on X.
33 flights cancelled
At least 150 flight services were affected and around 33 flights were cancelled due to a thick layer of fog. The Indigo airline also said that once operations resume, flights may still encounter delays due to airside congestion. Air India, in an update on X at 1.16 am, said poor visibility due to dense fog is affecting flight operations in Delhi and parts of northern India. Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital is operated by DIAL. On Friday, more than 400 flights were delayed due to bad weather conditions at the airport.
As per IMD, the visibility near airports- Palam, Safdarjung, Amritsar, Agra, Hindon, Chandigarh and Gwalior reduced to zero.
At around 7:00 am today, the visibility remained at 0m in a very dense fog of Delhi. Very dense fog with CAT III conditions at IGI Airport has been prevailing since yesterday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the IGI Airport experienced very dense fog with visibility recorded at 0 metres. It said all runways are operating under CAT-III, which allows aircraft to operate in low visibility conditions.
An official said over 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Friday due to bad weather conditions but there are no diversions so far. The weather office has predicted a partly cloudy sky for Saturday, with predominant surface winds from the northwest at speeds of less than 4 kmph in the morning.
Train services on halt
Due to dense fog, 49 trains departing from Delhi and arriving in Delhi are running late. Most of the trains are running late by three to four hours and the timings of 10 trains have been rescheduled.
Moderate fog and smog are expected in most areas, with dense fog in isolated places during the morning. Wind speeds are likely to increase to 4-6 kmph in the afternoon, before decreasing to less than 4 kmph from the southwest direction in the evening and night.
The maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday are expected to settle at 21 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI was recorded at 385 in Delhi today at 6 am. Yesterday at the same time it was 348.An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good,' 51 and 100 'satisfactory,' 101 and 200 'moderate,' 201 and 300 'poor,' 301 and 400 'very poor,' and 401 and 500 'severe.'
As the harsh winter continued many homeless people were seen staying at night shelters.
(With inputs from Anamika Gaur)
