Delhi : The national capital continued to reel under dense fog cover on Friday as visibility plunged, delaying train and flight services. A red alert has been issued for dense fog in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the fog conditions at the Indira Gandhi International Airport registered an improvement on Friday, compared to the last two days. The lowest visibility on Friday morning is at 150m and the Runway Visual Range (RVR) is in at range of 400m to 800m, reported ANI.
Over the last three days, nearly 60 flights were diverted and scores were delayed due to the fog. Airport sources said a total of 58 flights, the majority of them operated by domestic carriers, were diverted due to bad weather between 0000 hours of December 25 to 0600 hours of December 28.
The situation was no different at the New Delhi Railway Station where 22 trains were delayed on Friday. “The trains are later than usual this time. The Nandankanan Express coming to Delhi from Bhubaneswar was supposed to reach at 3.30 pm but it reached Delhi at 12.30 am,” a passenger Prashant Kumar told ANI.
The situation is likely to continue over the next few days, the IMD said. “Very dense fog in isolated pockets of Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, U.P, west Rajasthan; moderate to dense fog in isolated pockets of Delhi, East Raj; Shallow to moderate fog in isolated pockets of West M.P, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar,” a post by the IMD read.
The minimum temperature is expected to hover around seven to eight degrees Celsius, the weather department said on Thursday.
“Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 8.4 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season’s average, while the maximum temperature settled at 21.4 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal,” according to the IMD.
In an advisory for dense fog, the department has asked drivers to use fog lights and travellers to stay updated on the schedules of airlines, railways and state transport. “Exercise caution while driving or using any mode of transportation,” the IMD said.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data stated that Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Thursday settled at 358.
