Dense fog in Delhi causes low visibility, delays 209 flights, 45 trains

Photo: PTI

Delhi woke up to a blanket of dense fog on Saturday morning, causing widespread disruption to travel across the city. The thick fog reduced visibility significantly, making it difficult for vehicles, flights, and trains to operate smoothly. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light rainfall in the city, which might improve visibility later in the day. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature was recorded at 8°C, and the maximum temperature is expected to reach 15°C.

According to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, a total of 209 flights—both arrivals and departures—were delayed, and five flights had to be canceled. On the railway front, 45 trains were delayed due to the fog.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi issued a weather advisory at 6 am, stating that flights not equipped with CAT III instruments might face disruptions due to low visibility. However, at the time of the advisory, flight operations were functioning normally. The airport also confirmed that low visibility procedures were in place to handle the situation. Passengers were advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for updates on their flights.

The fog also heavily impacted visibility across the city. In Palam, visibility dropped to zero meters for three hours, from 11 pm on Friday to 2 am on Saturday. However, as easterly winds at speeds of 6-8 km/h began to blow, visibility gradually improved, reaching 500 meters by 7 am. Safdarjung recorded visibility as low as 50 meters at 1:30 am, but it later improved to 200 meters as winds picked up and shifted to the east-southeast, blowing at speeds of 15-18 km/h.

The IMD has forecast light rainfall in the city during the day, which could further improve visibility and clear some of the dense fog. However, the department has also warned that dense fog may persist in Delhi throughout the weekend.

On Friday, over 150 flights and 26 trains were delayed due to similar foggy conditions, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. The situation has been challenging throughout the week, with heavy fog disrupting travel regularly.

The IMD also highlighted that the last time Delhi experienced zero visibility was between January 2 and 3, when the dense fog lasted for nine hours straight, marking the longest spell of zero visibility this winter.

Air quality in the city also remains a concern. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at a hazardous 409 on Friday. On Thursday, the city’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 357, indicating poor air quality conditions.

Despite the challenges, the weather office has predicted that visibility might see some improvement due to the expected rainfall. However, temperatures are likely to dip further, with the minimum temperature in Delhi projected to drop to 5°C in the coming days.

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