Cold and dense fog disrupts over 100 flights in North India, many trains delayed

As north India grapples with severe cold and dense fog, over 100 flights faced delays and many were canceled, causing significant disruption at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The dense fog, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has engulfed parts of the national capital, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, East Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam.

The foggy conditions severely impacted visibility, resulting in the cancellation of 53 flights and delays for around 120 others. Additionally, numerous passengers faced difficulties and extended waiting times at New Delhi Railway Station due to delays in approximately 20 trains, including the Puri-Nizamuddin Purushottam Express and Azamgarh-Delhi Junction Kaifiyat Express.

Despite the inconvenience caused by delays and cancellations, the IMD predicts that the cold waves and foggy conditions will persist over the next few days in Delhi. The minimum temperature recorded on Wednesday was 4 degrees Celsius, following a season's low of 3.3 degrees Celsius on Monday.

The ongoing foggy mornings and cold wave conditions are expected to gradually decrease in intensity, according to IMD scientist Soma Sen. Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital has been recorded in the "severe" category, prompting measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb pollution levels.