Over 500 flights delayed, trains running late as dense fog blankets north India

Dense fog engulfed the northern part of the country in the wee hours on Monday leading to several flights being affected and trains running late due to low visibility. Air Quality too remained in the 'severe' category in parts of the national capital.

New Delhi:The thick blanket of fog resulting in poor visibility in the winter-battered north India has affected the operation of over 500 flights, an official from the Delhi airport said on Monday.

"Over 500 flights have been delayed, 21 diverted, and five flights have been cancelled due to dense fog at Delhi Airport," the official said.

Private airlines IndiGo and Vistara on Monday issued a travel advisory for their passengers saying flights to and from the national capital have been impacted due to bad weather and poor visibility.

Dense fog and eventual poor visibility have caused flight delays and cancellations across north India in the past few days.

Dense fog and bone-chilling cold continued unabated in several parts of north India, affecting normal life.

Delhi's IGI airport authorities had earlier warned that flight departures may be impacted if visibility droppped below 125 metres.

Read: Patients and relatives brave chilling winter on footpath outside AIIMS

Besides, at least 30 Delhi-bound trains were delayed by up to seven hours due to the low visibility and dense fog.

Major trains like Mahabodhi Express (Gaya-New Delhi) ware reported running late by at least 10 hours.

Sampoorna Kranti Express was running late by five hours. Nanda Devi Express was running by almost four hours behind its schedule.

Vikramshila Express from Bhagalpur to Anand Vihar (Delhi) was late by five hours.

On Monday, Delhities woke up to a bone-chilling morning with the minimum temperature recorded at 2.6 degrees Celsius.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital also took a beating on Monday as it stood at 449 with particulate matter (PM) 2.5, the Met officials said.

Shambhu Mahto, a cab driver, said: "I have not seen this kind of fog for a long time. It is extremely difficult to drive in such a low visibility."

Nisha Sharma, a social media executive, who commutes daily in the Delhi Metro, said: "I could not find any rickshaw to reach the Metro station. The metro was also moving very slow due to dense fog. I reached office late by almost 2 hours."

Read: Delhi continues to reel under severe cold at 3.4 deg C