15 flights cancelled, over 180 delayed in Delhi amid dense fog; 60 trains affected

NEW DELHI, JAN 5 : As dense fog continued to engulf Delhi, at least 15 flights were cancelled today and more than 180 delayed. The fog also disrupted train services, with more than 60 trains going to and coming from Delhi running late.

The city witnessed an unprecedented nine-hour zero visibility period, the longest spell this winter season, on Saturday. Nearly 10 trains, including Bihar Sampark Kranti Express and Shram Shakti Express among others, were running more than six hours late.

At 11.30 am, as many as 15 flights were cancelled today and more than 180 flights were delayed with an average delay time of 25 minutes at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, according to flight tracking website, flightradar. On Saturday, at least 48 flights were cancelled, and 564 flights were delayed at the IGI airport.

The visibility slightly improved to 50 meters at IGI airport at 8 am. Zero visibility was reported from 4 am to 8 am.

As compared to yesterday’s nine-hour zero-visibility spell, IGI Airport witnessed a relatively reduced 4 hours of zero visibility today.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius was recorded from the Safdarjung station at 8:30 am. The mercury dipped to 10 degrees Celsius at 5.30 am on Sunday, as compared to 10.2 degrees Celsius at the same time on Saturday.

Delhi’s pollution levels remained in the ‘poor’ category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reported at 377 at 6 am today, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

The dense fog led to the delay of 81 trains while 15 flights were diverted on Saturday, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.

“Zero visibility prevailed for nine hours at Palam between 6 pm and 3 am (UTC), marking the longest spell of the season. The city’s primary weather station, Safdarjung, recorded eight hours of zero visibility,” PTI quoted IMD officials as saying.

With the maximum temperature in the city settled at 20 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notches above average and the minimum temperature was recorded at 7.8 degrees Celsius, 0.9 notches above normal, IMD said.

The relative humidity during the day ranged between 96 and 100 per cent, it said.

For Sunday, the weather department has predicted a partly cloudy sky. The predominant surface wind is expected to blow from the southeast at a speed of less than 4 kmph during the morning hours.

Smog and moderate fog are likely in most areas, with dense fog expected in a few places during the morning. The wind speed is forecast to gradually increase to 8-10 kmph from the southeast in the afternoon, before decreasing to less than 6 kmph in the evening and night.

Smog or shallow to moderate fog is likely during the evening and night, it said.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle at around 18 and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively.

At 7 am on Saturday, general visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport was zero in very dense fog. The Runway Visual Range (RVR) at its runways was in the range of 100-250 metres, with CAT III conditions.

Such very dense fog in zero visibility with CAT III conditions at the airport had been prevailing since 11.30 pm on Friday, the Met office said.

“While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” the Delhi International Airport Limited, which operates the airport, said in a post on X at 6.56 am.

CAT III facility allows aircraft to operate in low-visibility conditions.

The Northern Railway said 59 trains were running late by up to six hours and 22 by around eight hours.

In a related development, the air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ category. The city’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 378, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

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’.

-PTI