New Delhi [India]: Foggy weather in Delhi caused significant disruptions to train and flight services on Wednesday morning. At the Indira Gandhi International Airport, several flights were delayed due to low visibility caused by the fog. Additionally, nine trains originating from various stations to Delhi were running behind schedule, including Brahmaputra Mail (15658), Poorva Express (12303), Purushottam Express (12801), and GCT ANVT SF EXP (22433).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that fog conditions were prevalent over parts of North Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and some patches in the Northeast. In Delhi, the temperature was recorded at 10.4 degrees Celsius at 5:30 a.m.
The air quality in the national capital was categorized as “poor,” with the Air Quality Index (AQI) registering at 262 at 8 a.m. The AQI scale categorizes 0-50 as ‘good’, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate’, 201-300 as ‘poor’, 301-400 as ‘very poor’, and 401-500 as ‘severe’.
As the cold weather persisted, homeless individuals sought refuge in night shelters. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents across various locations to provide temporary shelter.
In other regions of North India, foggy conditions were also observed. Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was blanketed by dense fog this morning. The IMD forecasted a minimum temperature of 11°C in Ayodhya today.
Meanwhile, thousands of devotees gathered on the ghats of Sangam in Uttar Pradesh to take a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam, a sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, as part of the ongoing Maha Kumbh. The event marked its 10th day, with 8.81 crore devotees having participated so far.
Cold wave conditions continued to impact the Kashmir Valley, with Srinagar recording a temperature of 2.6°C at 5:30 a.m.
The IMD has also predicted possible rain in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, and North Rajasthan on January 22 and 23.