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NEW DELHI — Over 100 flights were affected on Thursday as Delhi-NCR continued to be engulfed by fog which also impacted the rail and road traffic.
The mercury plummeted to 8.4 degrees Celsius, just one notch above the seasonal average.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert, urging residents to remain prepared for the harsh weather conditions. The advisory stressed the need for precautionary measures due to significantly reduced visibility in various parts of the city.
At 5:30 a.m., Palam reported a mere 25 metres of visibility, while Safdarjung station recorded 50m.
The IMD classifies fog intensity into four types -- shallow, moderate, dense and very dense fog which ranges from 999m to 500m, 499m to 200m, 199m to 50m and < 50m, respectively.
The impact of the cold wave was most evident during the morning commute, with delays reported in both air and rail travel. Several flights were delayed or cancelled as a result of poor visibility, affecting passengers' travel plans. Train schedules were disrupted, causing inconvenience to commuters relying on rail transport.
According to Railways, 22 trains including Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Jammu Tawi - New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Tamil Nadu Express, Golden Temple Mail, were delayed by several hours due to poor visibility.
The Azamgarh-Delhi Jn kaifiyat Express was delayed for over nine hours, Puri- New Delhi Purushottam Express by six while the Gita Jayanti Express and Chennai-New Delhi Grand Trunk Express were delayed by five hours.
At Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, the poor visibility affected over 100 flights (domestic and international) departure and arrival.
In response to the challenging weather conditions, the IMD has advised the public to exercise caution.
"Dense Fog Advisory for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan & north Madhya Pradesh. Be careful while driving or outing through any transport. Use fog lights during driving. Be in touch with airlines, railways and state transport for the schedule of your journey," IMD said in a tweet on Thursday morning.
The IMD further said that on Thursday the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 21 degree Celsius while the relative humidity is expected to be around 95.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was in the ‘very poor’ category. The air quality at Anand Vihar on Thursday entered the ‘very poor’ category with PM 2.5 at 346 and PM 10 at 236, or in 'poor' levels, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Air Quality Index (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'.
The AQI monitoring station at the IGI airport recorded PM 2.5 at 216, in the ‘poor’ category and PM 10 at 117, or ‘moderate’. The AQI at the ITO station was in the ‘very poor’ category with PM 2.5 at 354 and PM 10 at 203, in the 'poor' category.