Over 50 flights, 23 trains delayed as thick fog shrouds Delhi, visibility near zero

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Jan 31, 2024: 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 likely to receive light rainfall for two days beginning today owing to a western disturbance in the Himalayan region.

 

From 1:30 am, there was zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, affecting flight operations, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to Delhi airport sources, more than 50 flights were delayed due to the thick fog in Delhi. Some of these flights were diverted to Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

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.

According to the Railways, 23 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country were running late, news agency ANI reported.

On Tuesday, Delhi recorded maximum and minimum temperatures of 21.4 degrees Celsius (one notch below the normal range) and 8.7 degrees Celsius (within the normal range), respectively.

Delhi experienced its coldest January in the past 13 years, with an average maximum temperature hovering around 17.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest since 2010, the IMD said.

The average minimum temperature in the national capital during the same period was pegged at 6.2 degrees Celsius, the second lowest in 13 years, the weather data showed.

ALL INDIA WEATHER FORECAST

Dense to very dense fog conditions were very likely to prevail in the morning hours in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on January 31, February 2 and dense fog in isolated pockets on February 3, the IMD said.

Dense to very dense fog conditions were predicted in the morning hours in isolated pockets of East Uttar Pradesh on January 31 and February 1 and in West Uttar Pradesh on January 31.

The weather office forecast dense fog conditions in isolated pockets for a few hours in the morning in Odisha from January 31 to February 2, and over north Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar on January 31.

According to the Met Department, a rise by 2-4 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures was predicted in many parts of Northwest and Central India during the next three days, with no significant change thereafter.

RAINFALL/SNOWFALL FORECAST

With two western disturbances in quick succession likely to hit northwest India, light/moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/snowfall was very likely in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till February 4 and decrease significantly thereafter, the IMD said.

Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall was predicted to occur in the Kashmir Valley and Himachal Pradesh on January 31 and February 1 and in Uttarakhand on January 31.

There was a forecast of light/moderate to fairly widespread rainfall in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Delhi and isolated to scattered rainfall in Uttar Pradesh on January 31 and February 1.

Isolated hailstorm was also likely to occur in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana on January 31 and in Uttarakhand on January 31 and February 1.

The IMD stated that light/moderate to fairly widespread rainfall/snowfall was possible in Arunachal Pradesh till February 5, and isolated to scattered rainfall in West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura from January 31 to February 2.

Courtesy: India Today