Delhi News: Dense fog enveloped the national capital on Friday, reducing visibility to zero in several areas and significantly disrupting flight operations. The maximum temperature in the city settled at 21.2 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees above the seasonal average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. Relative humidity ranged between 74 and 100 percent.
In a press release, IMD also informed about Zero Visibility in Delhi’s Palam and Safdarjung areas.
Forecasts indicate that wind speeds are likely to increase to 4–6 kmph during the afternoon, decreasing to less than 4 kmph from the southwest direction during the evening and night. Smog and shallow to moderate fog are expected to persist during the evening and night hours, news agency PTI reported. Saturday’s maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be 21 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
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Zero Visibility At Delhi Airport, Over 400 Flights Delayed
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) dropped to zero metres during the morning hours, as per PTI.
The IMD stated, “Very dense fog with visibility recorded at 0 metres was experienced at the airport. All runways are operating under CAT III, enabling aircraft to operate in low visibility conditions.” Despite these measures, flights not compliant with the CAT III facility were affected.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates IGIA, addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter). In a post at 11 am, DIAL informed passengers, “Low Visibility Procedures are still in progress at Delhi Airport. However, there has been no impact on flight operations. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.” Earlier, at 6.35 am, DIAL had highlighted that while landings and take-offs were ongoing, non-CAT III-compliant flights might face delays.
Flightradar24.com, a flight tracking website, reported that 470 flights experienced delays at IGIA, which handles approximately 1,300 flight movements daily.
Delhi AQI Remains ‘Very Poor’
The air quality in Delhi remained in the “very poor” category, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 371, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Among 32 monitoring stations, 10 recorded AQI levels in the “severe” category with readings exceeding 400, as per the SAMEER app. These stations included Jahangirpuri, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Nehru Nagar, Okhla Phase 2, and Punjabi Bagh. The remaining stations fell under the “very poor” category.
On Thursday, the AQI stood at 318. An AQI between 301 and 400 is categorised as “very poor,” while readings between 401 and 500 fall under the “severe” category.
The situation underscores the challenges posed by winter weather conditions and deteriorating air quality in the national capital, affecting daily life and transportation.
