Delhi-NCR grapples with dense fog; over 50 flights, trains delayed amid near-zero visibility

Delhi and its neighbouring areas were engulfed in thick fog on Wednesday morning, lowering visibility to near zero in many parts of the national capital. The fog resulted in the delay of over 50 flights at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.  

Thick fog shrouded Delhi and its neighbouring areas on Wednesday morning, reducing visibility to near zero and affecting road, rail and flight movement. The national capital is expected to have mild rainfall for two days starting today due to a disturbance in the western Himalayan area.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that as of 1:30 am, there was zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which had an impact on aircraft operations. The dense fog in Delhi caused more than fifty planes to be delayed, according to sources at the airport. A few of these aircraft were rerouted to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur.

The Delhi airport issued an advisory, urging passengers to contact their airlines for updated flight information. "While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," the post said.

Several trains going towards or leaving the national capital were delayed due to the fog. 

The highest and lowest temperatures in Delhi on Tuesday were 21.4 degrees Celsius (a little bit below the usual range) and 8.7 degrees Celsius (within the usual range), respectively. According to the IMD, January in Delhi was the coldest in the previous 13 years, with an average high temperature of 17.7 degrees Celsius—the lowest since 2010.