Widespread Disruption: Dense Fog Grips Northern India, Affecting Flights, Trains, And Roads

Dense fog enveloped northern India on Wednesday morning, significantly impacting operations at Delhi airport with more than 110 flights affected and visibility plummeting to just 25 meters. This atmospheric condition disrupted traffic movement, prompting the weather office to issue a red alert for "very dense fog" in the national capital amidst ongoing cold wave conditions. The Northern Railways reported delays for 25 trains heading to Delhi.

As fog-engulfed roads led to hazardous conditions, Uttar Pradesh witnessed multiple collisions, resulting in one fatality and 12 injuries on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. In Bareilly, a speeding truck collided with a house near the Bareilly-Sultanpur highway.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted "dense to very dense fog conditions" across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Visibility levels at the Safdarjung observatory near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi dropped to 25 meters, while the Safdarjung observatory recorded 50 meters. However, commuters reported even lower visibility in various parts of the national capital.

Cities in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab also experienced reduced visibility due to dense haze. In Haryana's Hisar and Karnal, visibility dropped to 25 meters, and it reached zero in Agra, Bareilly, and Bhatinda.

The air quality in Delhi witnessed a significant decline after several weeks of comparatively good air, registering a "very poor" Air Quality Index (AQI) of 381. The minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius, with the maximum temperature expected to rise to 24 degrees Celsius.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Anand Vihar in Delhi recorded an AQI of 441, Lodhi Road in central Delhi recorded an AQI of 327, and the IGI airport reported an AQI of 368. Neighboring Ghaziabad and Noida recorded AQI values of 336 and 363, respectively. The forecast indicated a further reduction in air quality over the next week.

As per the weather office classification, very dense fog occurs when visibility ranges from 0 to 50 meters, dense fog from 51 to 200 meters, moderate fog from 201 to 500 meters, and shallow fog from 501 to 1,000 meters.