On Thursday morning, Delhi witnessed thick fog and a temperature drop to 7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Low visibility affected various areas, including Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh Road, Anand Vihar, and India Gate. The IMD noted dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, with dense fog also impacting parts of Rajasthan, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.
At Delhi’s Safdarjung weather station, visibility was recorded at 50 meters at 5:30 am, and at Palam, it was 25 meters. The IMD categorizes visibility as ‘very dense’ when it’s between 0 and 50 meters. Flights and trains faced delays and diversions due to the low visibility, causing inconvenience for passengers.
One traveler at Delhi IGI Airport expressed frustration over flight delays, stating, “The fog is delaying the flights.” The weather department predicted that dense fog would persist on Republic Day, Friday, with the minimum temperature remaining at 7 degrees Celsius.
The IMD highlighted cold wave conditions in northern regions, including Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, with cold day to severe cold day conditions prevailing. In response, the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party, referring to an NGO report, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party government, claiming that 180 homeless individuals had succumbed to the cold in the national capital. Moreover, the weather department forecast that dense fog would hover in the city on Friday, Republic Day and the minimum temperature would remain at 7 degrees Celsius.