Hyderabad: Delhi Airport had issued a fog alert for passengers, as cold waves swept through most parts of north India. Around 34 domestic departure flights from Delhi Airport were delayed on Saturday due to bad weather and other related issues. Over 12 flights scheduled to land at Delhi from different destinations have been delayed. Meanwhile, 36 trains are running late in the Northern Railway region due to fog, as per the latest updates.
Dense fog engulfed the national capital on Saturday morning, leading to reduced visibility. It has been estimated that severe cold wave and fog conditions will continue to prevail in Delhi. Visibility at Palam was reduced to around 50 metres, affecting road and rail traffic. The visibility at the Palam observatory near the Indira Gandhi International Airport was 25 metres at 5:30 am.
As per IMD, Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius while a minimum temperature of 2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Lodhi Road. Delhi Ridge recorded a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius. "These are the lowest temperatures in the respective areas this season," the weather forecasting body stated. It is five notches below the average, it added. The maximum temperature is likely to be around 16 degrees Celsius.
On Friday, Delhi had recorded a cold wave for the second consecutive day while reporting a minimum temperature plummeting below 2 degrees Celsius. At Ayanagar in southwest Delhi, the observatory recorded 1.8 degrees. Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan also continued to grapple with the cold conditions. There was some respite in Kashmir as the minimum temperature improved slightly even as the Valley braces for a possible wet weather spell from Saturday. A dense layer of fog persisted over northwest India, and adjoining central and eastern parts of the country, hitting road, rail and air traffic movement.
The Punjab Government on Friday extended its winter break for students of Class I to VII of all government, aided, recognized and private schools till 14 January 2023. The Guwahati zoo authorities have installed heaters at the animal enclosures to keep the inmates warm during winter.
