Delhi Grapples With Dense Fog And Disrupted Travel As Winter Chill Persists

On Wednesday morning, Delhi and its nearby regions were enveloped in thick fog, severely limiting visibility and disrupting road, rail, and air travel. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts light rainfall in the national capital for the next two days due to a western disturbance in the Himalayan region.

Indira Gandhi International Airport experienced zero visibility from 1:30 am, causing disruptions to flight operations. More than 50 flights were delayed, and some were diverted to Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The airport issued an advisory for passengers to check with their airlines for updated flight information.

Rail travel was also affected, with 23 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country running late. The IMD reported that Delhi recorded temperatures slightly below the normal range on Tuesday. It has been the coldest January in the past 13 years, with an average maximum temperature of 17.7 degrees Celsius and an average minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees Celsius.

The IMD forecasted dense to very dense fog conditions in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on January 31 and February 2, with dense fog in isolated pockets on February 3. In other regions, such as East and West Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, North Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal, and Bihar, dense fog conditions were expected in the morning hours on specific dates.

The weather office predicted a rise in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius in many parts of Northwest and Central India over the next three days, with no significant change thereafter.

Looking ahead, two western disturbances are likely to bring light to moderate rainfall/snowfall in northwest India, including Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand until February 4. Isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall is expected in the Kashmir Valley, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on specific dates.

Additionally, there is a forecast of light to moderate rainfall in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, and isolated to scattered rainfall in Uttar Pradesh on January 31 and February 1. Isolated hailstorms are also anticipated in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttarakhand on specific dates. In the northeastern regions, light to moderate rainfall/snowfall is possible in Arunachal Pradesh until February 5, along with isolated to scattered rainfall in West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura from January 31 to February 2.