New Delhi:

A blanket of fog continued to cover parts of the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) this morning, reducing visibility and affecting flight and train operations for the third straight day.

Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were hit, with delays reported for aircraft not equipped with advanced CAT III navigation systems.

General visibility at the airport was zero at 7:30 am.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), in an update issued around 7 am, reassured travellers that landings and takeoffs were ongoing, but cautioned that non-CAT III-compliant flights might face delays.

Update issued at 06:55 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/g67ls6Eweg

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 5, 2025

Several trains also reported significant delays at New Delhi Railway Station due to near-zero visibility.

#WATCH | Delhi: As cold waves grip the national capital, several trains running late at New Delhi railway station due to fog

(Visuals from New Delhi Railway station) pic.twitter.com/eGD8SnaIsC

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for dense fog during the morning hours, warning of reduced visibility across the city.

Delhi Sees Season’s Longest Zero Visibility Spell

Earlier Saturday, dense fog enveloped the national capital and reduced visibility to zero for an unprecedented nine-hour stretch, the longest spell of the season.

The city’s primary weather station, Safdarjung, recorded eight hours of zero visibility, as per the IMD.

According to officials, it also led to the delay of 81 trains while 15 flights got diverted.

The maximum temperature in the city settled at 20 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notch above average and the minimum temperature was recorded at 7.8 degrees Celsius, 0.9 notch above the normal, the IMD said.

The air quality also continued in the ‘very poor’ category this morning. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI was at 377.

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.’

For the second consecutive day, a thick layer of fog has covered north India, dropping temperatures and disrupting train, and flight operations in several states. 

The Delhi airport has issued an advisory for passengers that operations have been impacted due to fog. Flyers are requested to contact the airlines for updates. Over 100  flights have been delayed at the Delhi airport this morning. Srinagar, Chandigarh, Agra, Lucknow, Amritsar, Hindon and Gwalior airports reported zero visibility.

Over 50 trains coming to Delhi are late. The 22436 New Delhi Vande Bharat Express is delayed by over four hours, while the Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is 14 hours late. The New Delhi Vande Bharat Express is eight hours and 17 minutes late and the Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Express is delayed by over seven hours.

Yesterday, over 200 flights were delayed as visibility came down to zero at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Update issued at 00:05 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/fQZakeRWAV

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 3, 2025

The India Meteorological Department has forecast a dense to very dense fog in the national capital, Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana. According to the IMD, the current general visibility at the IGI airport is zero.

IndiGo said it “continues to experience significantly reduced visibility due to fog, impacting flight schedules”.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility. Please stay updated on your flight status https://t.co/IEBbuCsa3e. Once operations resume, flights may still encounter delays due to airside congestion. (1/2)

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 3, 2025

Air India said, “Poor visibility due to dense fog is impacting flight operations in Delhi and parts of Northern India,” asking passengers to check their flight status.

#TravelAdvisory

Poor visibility due to dense fog is impacting flight operations in Delhi and parts of Northern India. Please check your flight status at: https://t.co/6ajUZVeeIM before heading to the airport.

— Air India (@airindia) January 3, 2025

SpiceJet advised passengers to check their flight status and updated that, “Due to bad weather (poor visibility) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected.”

#WeatherUpdate (03rd Jan’25): Due to bad weather (poor visibility) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://t.co/2wynECZugy.

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) January 3, 2025

Delhi is expected to witness fog till January 8, with light rain likely on January 6. The temperature in Delhi as of Saturday morning was 10 degrees Celsius.

A “cold day” is when the minimum temperature is under 10 degrees Celsius and the highest or lowest temperature is at least 4.5 degrees lower than what is considered normal for a specific period.

As per the CPCB, the Air Quality Index is over 240, categorised as ‘Very Unhealthy’.

A cold wave is intensifying across North India, including Delhi-NCR, as temperatures dip following light rain in the plains and snowfall in the mountains. Delhi is grappling with a double threat of pollution and plummeting temperatures, while cold wave and fog conditions persist in Punjab and Haryana. Snowfall and cold wave alerts have been issued for Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, with rising cold also being felt in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with a thin layer of fog enveloping parts of the national capital. On Monday, the minimum temperature stood at 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum reached 20 degrees Celsius.

Residents of the national capital were seen gathering bonfires to combat the chill, while others took refuge in night shelter homes as temperatures continued to drop in Delhi.

In Rajasthan, the cold weather persisted, significantly impacting daily life due to the falling temperatures. In Bikaner, the temperature was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Cold wave continues to affect the daily life of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, with temperatures dropping below zero in many areas. Srinagar recorded a temperature of -5.2 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am on Tuesday. Other recorded temperatures included -0.6 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, – 6.8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, – 0.8 degrees Celsius in Banihal and – 4.6 degrees Celsius in Kupwara.

On Monday, Srinagar experienced a minimum temperature of -7 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the IMD.

As per the IMD, a cold wave is considered when the minimum temperature of a station is 10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees Celsius or less for Hilly regions.

The IMD forecasts a severe cold wave in Jammu and Kashmir starting from December 24. Additionally, dense fog conditions and a cold wave are expected to prevail from December 23 to 25 in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was classified in the ‘severe’ category on Tuesday, with visibility limited by the fog. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was recorded at 401 at 8 AM. On the previous day, the AQI also fell into the ‘severe’ category, measuring 403 at 7 AM.

Specific AQI readings included 417 in Alipur, 423 in Anand Vihar, 425 in RK Puram, and 402 at ITO.

An AQI rating is categorized as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).

(With inputs from ANI)