A thick blanket of fog enveloped Delhi and its neighboring regions as North India grappled with a severe cold wave. The dense fog significantly reduced visibility at airports, causing disruptions in flight operations across the region.
According to FlightRadar24, Delhi airport reported as many as 4 cancellations amid dense fog and low visibility. Additionally, 118 departing and 39 arrival flights were also delayed at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) airport today, as per the data available at 08:20 am.
Furthermore, airport authorities issued an advisory stating that while landings and takeoffs are continuing, flights not equipped for low-visibility landings (CAT III A compliant) could face delays due to the prevailing weather conditions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast suggests that temperatures will dip further starting Wednesday, with the minimum temperature in Delhi expected to reach 5 degrees Celsius by Friday. The IMD has issued an orange warning for dense to very dense fog on Wednesday, followed by a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday.
In the past 24 hours, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius, 2.8 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 10.5 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal. On Tuesday, over 300 flights and approximately 25 train services were delayed due to the blinding fog.
The cold wave has also gripped other northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan’s Nagaur district, the minimum temperature plunged to 2.5 degrees Celsius, highlighting the severity of the chill.