Dense fog was witnessed across North India, including the national capital Delhi, on Thursday morning. This led to a significant reduction in visibility in several areas, affecting the normal daily life of the people. Vehicles were seen crawling on the roads passing through the dense fog.
A cricket match was called off on Wednesday amid poor visibility due to dense fog and smog in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
Fog alert in 16 states
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fog alert for 16 states across the country for Thursday. A red alert for dense fog has been issued across all districts in Uttar Pradesh.
“Dense to very dense fog is expected in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand. Similar foggy conditions may also be seen in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Odisha. Visibility will remain low, which may cause disruptions to road, rail, and air travel,” the weather department said.
The weather department has issued an orange alert for dense fog in some parts of Punjab and Haryana, where visibility may drop below 50 meters.
Cold wave warning in Uttarakhand
Meanwhile, a cold wave warning has been issued for the western regions of Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning may occur in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Delhi Pollution
Delhi continues to reel under toxic air as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded above 300 in the “very poor” category in most areas. A thick layer of smog and fog have reduced the visibility. GRAP-4 restrictions are in place across the national capital to curb the toxic air. BS-III petrol vehicles and BS-IV diesel vehicles have been banned from entering Delhi.
Besides, vehicles without valid pollution certificates will not be given petrol at fuel pumps starting today.
