Dense fog continues to disrupt trains, flights in North India
Foggy conditions continued to disrupt train and flight schedules across North India, including the national capital, Delhi, and states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted the fog would linger in the region for another three days. In contrast, southern parts like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry are expected to experience rainfall. Meanwhile, the weather department predicted that cold wave conditions would persist till New Year's Day.
Why does this story matter?
Most northern states and union territories have been witnessing dense fog amid the cold wave. Heavy fog on the Indo-Gangetic Plain and snowfall in the hills have made commuting extremely difficult, especially when people are preparing to celebrate the New Year holidays. On Thursday, more than 130 flights faced delays at Delhi's airport. Neighboring states also reported many traffic accidents. As seen in images and videos posted online, people were using shelter houses as a haven from the bitter cold.
80 flight delays at Delhi airport amid foggy conditions
Poor weather conditions reportedly delayed around 80 flights at Delhi airport on Saturday till 8:30am. Several trains were also delayed on Friday and Saturday. Although the fog intensity decreased in parts of Delhi, the Indira Gandhi International Airport witnessed the lowest visibility (150m), per IMD data. It also cautioned dense fog will persist in Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar until Tuesday. Similarly, cold wave conditions are predicted to intensify in the region until New Year's Eve.
Snowfall forecast in J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand; rainfall in southern states
The IMD forecasted a gradual increase in minimum temperatures (by 2-3 degrees Celsius) in Central India over the next four to five days, while temperatures in the rest of the country will remain stable. Snowfall and light rain are expected in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand over the next two days. Additionally, parts of South India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, will see rainfall until January 2, 2024.
IMD predicted coldwave to continue in North India
Know about visibility parameters
The IMD classifies fog as very dense when visibility is between 0 and 50 meters. Fog is deemed dense when visibility is between 51 and 200 meters. When visibility ranges from 201 to 500 meters, it is moderate. Shallow fog is when visibility is 501-1,000 meters, and less than shallow fog if it is 1,000 meters in less than shallow fog.
