As the cold wave tightens its grip on northern India, the national capital, Delhi, woke up to a hazy morning on Wednesday, shrouded in a thick layer of fog. The dense fog resulted in low visibility and disruptions in traffic, causing delays for commuters. The temperature in Delhi plummeted to nearly seven degrees, and the Indian Meteorological Department issued a warning of ‘dense to very dense’ fog in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh from 27th to 29th December, with isolated pockets of North Rajasthan and North Madhya Pradesh also affected on 27th December.
According to the Meteorological Department, the recorded visibility at 5:30 AM varied across different locations, including Amritsar, Patiala, Srinagar, Bareilly, Lucknow, Paryagraj, Varanasi, Jhansi, Ganganagar, Kota, and both Safdarjung and Palam in Delhi. Morning visuals from various parts of Delhi, such as Dhaula Kuan, India Gate, Barapullah, and the Delhi-Noida border, depicted dense fog covering these areas.
The impact of the fog extended to transportation, with some trains arriving and departing from New Delhi experiencing delays due to low visibility. The Flight Information Display System (FIDS) at Delhi Airport indicated disruptions, affecting approximately 110 flights, including both domestic and international arrivals and departures. The Delhi Airport Authority issued an advisory, stating that while landings and takeoffs were ongoing, flights not compliant with CAT III (Category III) standards might face disruptions. CAT III refers to an Instrument Landing System enabling flights to operate in low visibility conditions such as fog, snow, and rain.
The Indian Meteorological Department, based on satellite imagery, reported the persistence of dense fog over parts of northwest India, central India, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, North Rajasthan, North Madhya Pradesh, and even parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
Moreover, the IMD warned of potential health impacts on individuals due to the dense fog in Delhi, emphasizing that particulate matter and pollutants in dense fog could adversely affect respiratory health. The release stated that exposure to dense fog could lead to the lodging of particulate matter in the lungs, causing issues such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
