Dense fog cuts visibility in Delhi, northern states as winter bites

As the temperature continues to drop with the winter chill, Delhi and the northern states were covered with a thick fog on Tuesday morning that reduced visibility to a few metres. Motorists were facing problems in driving and the national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport went on a fog alert.

The Delhi Airport tweeted a fog alert at 4.30 am, cautioning passengers: “Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.”

The Meteorological Department reported the decline in visibility in Delhi’s Safdarjung area to a mere 50 metres at 5.30 am. Satellite imagery showed dense to very dense fog in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, North Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, it stated.

As the air quality continues to fall, the heavy layer of smog is making conditions worse along with the humidity. Visuals shared by residents show a blanket of fog covering the roads on early Tuesday morning

On Monday under similar conditions, there was a car pile-up due to heavy fog which left many people injured on the Greater Noida Eastern Peripheral Highway on the outskirts of Delhi.

The air quality in the capital in the past days has been in the “very poor” category. The air quality index around IGI airport today is 378, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.