New Delhi: A thick layer of fog covered North India for a consecutive second day on Saturday dropping temperatures and disrupting flight and train operations. According to the India Meteorological Department, Delhi recorded 10.2 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am on Saturday.
In response to the chilly weather, residents of the capital were seen gathering around bonfires, while others took shelter in night homes as temperatures continued to drop.
Many North Indian states also experienced similar weather on Saturday morning with dense layers of fog and cold waves. In Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow, the temperature was recorded at 11.4 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am Saturday. Mainpuri city in the state was seen being blanketed with a dense layer of fog. Jharkhand continued to reel under cold wave conditions on Saturday with the mercury falling below 6 degrees Celsius. Dry weather prevailed over the state during the last 24 hours with the lowest minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius recorded in Khunti, IMD said.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital continued in the 'very poor' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI was recorded at 385 in Delhi today at 6 am. Yesterday at the same time it was 348.
Flight Operations Return To Normal
As many as 19 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport early Saturday morning and more than 200 flights were delayed as low visibility due to dense fog impacted operations for the second straight day.
In the latest update, the airport said that all flights are operating normally. "Runway Visibility at Delhi Airport has improved and all flights are operating normal. Passengers are requested to contact their concerned airline for updated flight information," the airport said in a statement at 11.30 am
The country's largest airline IndiGo had temporarily put arrivals and departures on hold at the airport early in the morning.
An official said 19 flights were diverted at the airport between 12.15 am and 1.30 am due to reduced visibility.
Out of them, 13 were domestic, 4 international and 2 non-scheduled flights. More than 200 flights were delayed and operations have returned to normal now, the official added.
"#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility," IndiGo said in a post on X at 1.05 am on Saturday.
Air India said in an update on X at 1.16 am that poor visibility due to dense fog was impacting flight operations in Delhi and parts of northern India.
A thick blanket of fog had enveloped Delhi on Friday as well, delaying more than 400 flights.
In an update on X at 10.58 am, IndiGo said dense fog continued to affect visibility in Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Srinagar, Guwahati and Patna, even during daytime.
"We assure you that our teams are working diligently to assist all impacted customers, ensuring your journey resumes as soon as the weather improves," it said in another post at 11 am.
Rail Traffic Disrupted
Railway stations are also in the grip of dense fog. 22 trains are running late due to low visibility in Delhi. Dense fog prevailed at all 292 railway stations in the five divisions of Uttar Pradesh. Visibility on the railway tracks during the fog was only between 30 to 50 meters. Due to this, trains are running late by 6 to 8 hours.
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