Severe Cold Wave Grips North India: Flights, Trains Services Disrupted Amid Dense Fog

Dense fog blanketed various parts of North India, reducing visibility and temperatures and disrupting train and flight operations.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data for the past 24 hours, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, and a minimum of 7.6 degrees Celsius.

Photo Credit: PTI

Fog is forecasted to persist in Delhi until January 8, with light rain likely on the 6th. As of Friday morning, the temperature in the capital stood at 9.6 degrees Celsius, marking the fifth consecutive cold day.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported the Air Quality Index at 309 at the Lodhi Road station, categorised as 'Very Poor'.

Several flights operated by airlines such as SpiceJet, IndiGo, and Air India faced disruptions, with Delhi airport reporting an average delay of five minutes for arrivals and 11 minutes for departures, as per FlightRadar24.

SpiceJet announced that all flights to and from Amritsar and Guwahati were affected due to adverse weather conditions. IndiGo issued a travel advisory, particularly for routes including Delhi, Amritsar, Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Guwahati.

Airlines advised travellers to verify flight schedules before planning their journeys, cautioning that flights could be cancelled if visibility does not improve.

Train services departing from and arriving in Delhi also experienced delays, with some routes being operated on revised schedules.

Dense fog is expected to persist over Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Amritsar, and Guwahati on Friday. The IMD has issued a Nowcast warning for dense to very dense fog in Delhi, Rajasthan's Kota, Bundi, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Sri Ganganagar, and Tonk, Punjab's Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, and Kapurthala, as well as Haryana's Kurukshetra, Ambala, Panchkula, and Yamunanagar. Additionally, light rain and snow are predicted in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

A "cold day" is defined as when the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius, and the maximum or minimum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below the seasonal average.

Amidst the ongoing cold wave, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has ordered the suspension of classes up to Year 8 in all schools within the district until further notice. The Met Office has forecast a low of 8 degrees Celsius for Friday.