Dense fog envelops Delhi; flights diverted due to inclement weather

The Delhi-NCR region on Tuesday (December 26) morning experienced a thick fog cover while temperatures plummeted to around 7 degrees in the national capital, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Visuals from several areas including India Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, AIIMS, Safdarjung, and Anand Vihar depicted dense fog and significantly reduced visibility.

As the cold wave intensified overnight, residents sought shelter in various night shelters across Delhi. Satellite images released by the IMD this morning illustrated a widespread fog layer enveloping Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

In Uttar Pradesh, areas like Moradabad and Kanpur witnessed near-zero visibility due to the thick fog.

Local inhabitants voiced concerns about the challenging conditions caused by the fog.

A rickshaw driver from Moradabad mentioned the risks associated with low visibility, making it unsafe to operate as usual.

Similarly, a night security guard expressed the difficulty of working in the extreme cold and foggy conditions, citing visibility issues.

The situation led people to gather around bonfires along roads and lanes to cope with the intense cold.

Flights delayed

Two flights were diverted and nearly 30 flights delayed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday morning due to dense fog.

One flight each of IndiGo and SpiceJet were diverted to Jaipur, an official said.

As per information available on the Delhi airport website, around 30 flights have been delayed in the morning.

In a post on X, DIAL gave a fog alert at around 0730 hrs saying that while landing and takeoffs continue at the Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected.

CAT III pertains to operating flights when the visibility is quite low.

"Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in the post.

The arrival of 14 trains was also delayed due to the foggy conditions.

AQI remains 'very poor'

Meanwhile, with a reading of 374, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital remained in the "very poor" category at 9:05 am.

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".

(With agency inputs)