Very dense fog shrouded parts of Delhi, Noida, and other parts of the national capital region (NCR) on Wednesday morning as cold wave conditions intensified across northern India, affecting visibility. In several areas, visibility was close to zero, potentially disrupting flight and train services.
At 6 am on Wednesday, the visibility at the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi was recorded at 100 metres. As per the airport, the visibility is consistently reducing.
"Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," it said.
The minimum temperature at 5:30 am was 7 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD, with maximum temperature expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the Met Department predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle for Delhi. Minimum temperatures are “appreciably above normal” by 3°C to 5°C at isolated places over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
The predominant surface wind is expected to come from the southeast at a speed of less than 4 kmph during the morning hours, increasing to 6-8 kmph from the south in the afternoon, before dropping to less than 4 kmph from the northeast in the evening and night.
Dense to very dense fog conditions are expected to persist during the night and early morning in parts of West and East Uttar Pradesh. Smog or shallow to moderate fog is likely in the evening and night.
While the IMD noted no significant change in minimum temperatures over northwest India during the day, it predicted a gradual increase by 2-3 degrees Celsius over the next three days.
The 24-hour average air quality was recorded in the “poor” category, with an AQI reading of 275.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that the AQI at 9 am was also in the “poor” category, with a reading of 256. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.