160 flights, 51 trains hit as Delhi wakes up to 3rd foggy morning in a row

A thick layer of fog enveloped several areas of Delhi for a third consecutive morning on Sunday (January 5), throwing flight and train schedules haywire.

Over 160 flights were affected at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), with more than 155 being delayed and at least eight being cancelled so far. A total of 51 trains were delayed.

Zero visibility at Palam

The Met office said Palam had zero visibility between 4 am and 7.30am. On Saturday, Palam had recorded a nine-hour spell of zero visibility.

At Safdarjung, the visibility dropped to 0.50 metres at 5.30 am. General visibility at the Palam and Safdarjung airports was reduced to zero in very dense fog at 7.30 am.

Flights with aircraft not equipped with the advanced CAT III navigation systems had to be delayed or cancelled.

The Railways have urged passengers to travel only after checking the status of their train.

Also read: Delhi: 15 flights diverted, many delayed as dense fog hits operations at airport

Very poor AQI

In a related development, the national capital’s air quality was in the “very poor” category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 372 at 9 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

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”.

The minimum temperature settled two notches above normal at 9.4 degrees Celsius. The humidity level was recorded at 95 per cent at 8.30am.

The Met office has predicted dense to very dense fog during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 18 degrees Celsius.

(With agency inputs)