Cold wave, dense fog continue to batter Delhi, north India; flights, trains hit
A dense fog engulfed Delhi on Monday (January 9) as the national capital continued to experience cold wave conditions for the fifth consecutive day. Fog lowered visibility to a mere 25 metres, hitting road, rail, and air traffic movement, officials said.
In fact, not only Delhi-NCR, but several parts of North India were affected by dense fog and near-zero visibility. Satellite images showed the fog layer extending from Punjab and northwest Rajasthan to Bihar, shrouding Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
As per Satellite imagery and available visibility data fog layer extended from Punjab and adjoining northwest Rajasthan to Bihar across Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/OGB3tEBNZR
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) January 9, 2023
While the visibility levels dropped to 25 metres at Delhi’s Palam observatory, near the IGI Airport, and the Safdarjung observatory, several cities in UP, Punjab, and Haryana recorded zero visibility.
According to IMD data, visibility in Punjab’s Bhatinda, Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, and Lucknow’s Amausi was 0 metre at 5.30 am. Visibility in Amritsar and Ambala was 25 metres, Hissar 50 metres, Varanasi 25 metres, and Bareilly 50 metres.
Delhi | Dense fog engulfs the national capital this morning, leading to reduced visibility.
Visuals from ITO. pic.twitter.com/b08uGZ5cMm
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2023
Flights, trains delayed
Because of the dense fog, around 29 trains have been delayed by two to five hours, said a railway official. Officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport said around 15 flights have been delayed and one flight had to be diverted due to bad weather.
The IMD on Monday issued a cold day and cold wave warning for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh and a fog warning in Northwest India. “Dense to very dense fog in Northwest India,” the IMD wrote, with a yellow alert for Delhi and a higher orange alert for Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Punjab | A thick layer of fog envelops parts of Bathinda city, resulting in reduced visibility.
According to IMD, visibility recorded at 11:30 pm yesterday in Bhatinda was 0 metres. pic.twitter.com/CRotwSsJoz
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2023
Even though frosty winds from the northern mountains continued to pound northwest India, minimum temperatures rose marginally. The Safdarjung observatory, which recorded a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius (the second lowest in a decade) on Sunday, logged 3.8 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Schools closed
The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar, and Ridge recorded minimum temperatures of 3.6 degrees, 3.2 degrees, and 3.3 degrees, respectively. Many places in Delhi were colder than popular Himachal Pradesh hill stations such as Shimla, Kullu, Manali, and Dharamshala.
Uttar Pradesh | As north India shivers amid cold wave, a dense layer of fog covers parts of Prayagraj pic.twitter.com/9jJsdycWzR
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 9, 2023
Because of the cold wave conditions, the Uttar Pradesh government declared on Sunday night that all schools up to Class VIII will remain closed till January 14. Online classes will be conducted for students from Classes IX to XII, and if classes cannot be conducted due to some reason, a holiday will be declared till January 11.
The Delhi government has issued an advisory to all private schools, asking them to remain shut till January 15. The Jharkhand government, too, issued a notice on Sunday, declaring a holiday for students from KG to Class VII at both government and private schools till January 14. “Regular classes will resume from January 16,” the notice read.
Also read: As Delhi shivers in cold wave, ‘Dilli Ki Sardi’ memes keep spirits high on Twitter
The IMD, in its bulletin on Sunday, said cold wave conditions in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, West Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana will ease after January 9.
(With agency inputs)
