A dense layer of fog covered the national capital on Tuesday morning, pulling visibility at Delhi Airport down to nearly 200 metres with temperatures dipping to 8 degrees Celsius at 6 am. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted shallow fog for the early hour, marking yet another chilly start for the city. The weather department stated that Delhi's maximum temperature is expected to settle between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will range from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius. Both readings are likely to remain close to normal, it added. The extended forecast till January 11 indicates that fog is expected to persist across all days, keeping mornings hazy and cold.
IMD warns of widespread fog across India
In its latest weather bulletin, the IMD noted, "Dense fog conditions very likely to continue during morning hours over northwest, central, east & northeast India during next 4-5 days." Along with this, cold wave conditions have been predicted for Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Jharkhand. Several states including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are likely to witness cold day to severe cold day conditions.
Flights disrupted as Delhi Airport issues fresh advisory
With low visibility impacting operations, the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport issued a passenger advisory at 6 am, stating, "Flight operations continue to be in CAT III. Both arrivals and departures are taking place, though some flights may experience delays or disruptions. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight information."
Meanwhile, IndiGo released a nationwide travel advisory alerting passengers that fog and low visibility conditions across cities including Delhi, Amritsar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Varanasi, Ranchi and Hindon may affect flight schedules. "We are closely monitoring the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly," the airline said. IndiGo further urged passengers to monitor updates online, adding, "Please be assured that our teams are here to assist you at every step and provide full support."
Air quality dips to 'poor' category
Delhiites also woke up to worrying air quality on Tuesday with the average AQI standing at 288, placing it in the poor category, according to CPCB data. Out of 37 monitoring stations, 19 recorded air quality in the very poor range. However, Bawana and IGI Airport stations showed relatively better readings at 189 and 180, marking the best AQI levels in the city for the day. Other stations remained within the poor category. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 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'.
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