35 flights, 25 trains delayed in Delhi as dense fog engulfs North India
Landing and take-offs continue as usual at Delhi’s IGI Airport, but authorities issue advisory to travellers over possible delays
As many as 35 flights and 25 trains were delayed as a dense fog covered Delhi and other parts of North India on Wednesday (December 27) morning.
As visibility dropped to a mere 50 metres, the weather office issued a red alert over “very dense fog" as cold wave conditions continued in the national capital. Traffic movement was disrupted and so was train movement, with 25 trains headed to Delhi being delayed, according to Northern Railways.
At 8 am, the Met department issued an orange alert across the city.
Apart from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh experienced dense fog too. In Amritsar, visibility dropped to zero metres, while Patiala, Lucknow, and Prayagraj recorded visibility of 25 metres.
The minimum temperature in Delhi dropped to 7.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, a notch above the normal, while the day temperature is expected to be 24 degrees Celsius. The air quality in Delhi was recorded in the “very poor” category at 383, up from 374 recorded at 9.05 am on Tuesday.
At least four flights were diverted at the Delhi airport between 9 am and 12 pm on Wednesday. An official said three were SpiceJet flights and the fourth one was an Air India flight to Jaipur.
Authorities issued an advisory to travellers over possible delays. On Tuesday, over 30 flights were delayed due to fog.
Flights not compliant with Category III (CAT III) standards may face disruptions, explained the airport authorities. Passengers have been advised to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.
“Very dense fog engulfed Delhi NCR. Visibility is almost nil at many places. At 07.30 hours Palam has reported 50 metres visibility. Take care and drive carefully. Improvement expected after 11 am,” Skymet official Mahesh Palawat said in a post on X.
“Flight delay and flight cancellation is possible. Dense fog to impact rail, road, air traffic today across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP & north Rajasthan,” he said in another post.
(With agency inputs)
