Dense fog envelops Delhi; over 100 flights, 27 trains delayed
What's the story
Dense fog conditions in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) have crippled air travel again, with over 100 flights delayed and 10 canceled on Friday due to zero or low visibility.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported zero visibility at several airports, including Delhi's Palam Airport and Punjab's Amritsar Airport.
Other affected airports include those in Varanasi, Agra, and Lucknow.
At Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, visibility was recorded as low as 50 meters at 7:30am on Friday.
Passenger alert
Delhi airport issues advisory amid fog disruption
In light of the foggy situation, Delhi airport released a passenger advisory saying that "flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected."
Passengers were advised to get in touch with airlines for updated flight information.
CAT III compliance is a system that enables flights to operate in low visibility conditions.
The IMD has also issued an orange warning for Delhi due to the dense fog, which could affect airports, highways, and railway routes.
Twitter Post
27 trains also running late
Delhi | 27 trains originating from various stations in Delhi are running late due to dense fog. pic.twitter.com/u69slqLNzv
— ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2025
Weather forecast
Foggy conditions worsen Delhi's air quality
The foggy conditions have also deteriorated Delhi's air quality index (AQI), which was pushed into the "very poor" category with a reading of 332.
The IMD has forecasted cloudy skies with a possibility of light rain for the Delhi-NCR region on Wednesday evening.
A fresh western disturbance is likely to bring isolated rainfall with thunderstorms over Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday and Thursday.
Weather alert
Cold wave intensifies across northern India
The cold wave has intensified across northern India, impacting areas outside Delhi-NCR too, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
Satellite imagery released by IMD shows the entire Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and most parts of Rajasthan under fog cover.
The image also showed a thick blanket of fog engulfing parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.