A severe cold wave enveloped North India on Friday morning, leading to significant travel disruptions as thick fog affected over 200 flights at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport and delayed numerous trains across the region.
According to flight tracking data from Flightradar, at least 72 outbound flights were delayed at Delhi airport, with six cancellations. Arrival flights fared worse, with 215 delays and 10 cancellations reported. The conditions were similarly challenging at Kolkata airport, where 17 departing flights faced delays, one was cancelled, and 36 inbound flights were also delayed.
Visibility at Delhi Airport dropped to zero early Friday, prompting warnings from airport authorities about potential disruptions. Airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet advised passengers to expect delays due to the adverse weather conditions.
In addition to flight disruptions, the Railways reported that at least 24 trains, including major long-distance services, were running late due to the dense fog. Some trains were delayed by more than 4.5 hours, impacting services like the Karnaraka and Bihar Sampark Kranti Expresses and the Ayodhya Express.
Incidents on the ground were also attributed to the poor visibility; a collision between a private bus and a truck in Bathinda, Punjab, resulted in injuries to 20 to 25 passengers.
This weather pattern marked the fifth consecutive day of a cold wave in the National Capital Region, with the maximum temperatures plummeting. The India Meteorological Department issued an orange warning for Delhi, predicting continued dense fog and a partly cloudy sky.
In Noida, district officials announced the closure of schools for classes until 8 AM, pending further orders. The forecast indicates a low of 8 degrees Celsius for the area on Friday.
Other states, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Bihar, are also experiencing severe cold waves that are compounded by fog. In Bihar, particularly in Patna, temperatures are expected to hover between 6-11 degrees Celsius over the coming days, prompting the government to adjust school hours to 9 AM to 4 PM until January 6. In Rajasthan's Fatehpur, temperatures dipped to a chilling 3.6 degrees Celsius in the past 24 hours.