A thick blanket of dense fog descended upon the national capital, severely disrupting life and travel for residents and visitors alike. The fog, which began forming on Monday evening, intensified through the night into Tuesday morning, drastically reducing visibility and throwing air and rail schedules into disarray.
Hours of Zero Visibility and Travel Havoc
The fog's impact was most acutely felt at the city's airports. Visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (Palam) plummeted to a mere 100 metres by 10:30 PM on Monday. Conditions worsened, with dense fog persisting until approximately 5:30 AM on Tuesday. The neighbouring Safdarjung area witnessed even more severe conditions, with visibility dropping to just 50 metres around midnight and remaining extremely poor for nearly eight hours until 8 AM.
This led to massive disruptions in air travel. Official reports confirmed that a staggering 118 flights were cancelled, with an additional 16 flights being diverted to other airports. Authorities have warned that similar travel disruptions are likely to continue over the next few days as the dense fog is expected to linger, potentially affecting railway operations as well.
IMD's Yellow Alert and Worsening Air Quality
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has taken note of the persistent conditions and has issued a yellow alert for New Year's Eve, forecasting moderate to dense fog for the capital. The weather pattern is not confined to Delhi alone. The IMD forecasts indicate that dense to very dense fog is likely to persist until December 31 over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and west Uttar Pradesh, and until January 1 over east Uttar Pradesh.
While the fog settled, Delhi's air quality showed only a marginal improvement, stubbornly remaining in the 'very poor' category. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Tuesday was recorded at 388 at both 8 AM and 4 PM, a slight improvement from Monday's 401. However, forecasts are grim. The Air Quality Early Warning System has predicted severe AQI levels from December 31 to January 1. Experts warn that the combination of fog and low wind speeds will create poor conditions for the dispersion of pollutants, potentially worsening the air quality.
Regional Weather Shift and Temperature Outlook
The foggy conditions over North India are part of a larger weather pattern. A western disturbance brought snowfall to Ladakh on Tuesday, with heavy rain and snow expected over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad until January 1.
Meteorologists, however, predict a change on the horizon. Mahesh Palawat, Vice-President at Skymet Weather, indicated that the fog's intensity is expected to reduce gradually. A significant shift is anticipated from January 3 onwards, when strong north-westerly winds are likely to sweep across the region. This change in wind pattern is expected to lead to a sharp fall in temperatures, marking the end of the current fog episode.
On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 21.5°C and a minimum of 9.4°C. For New Year's Eve, the minimum temperature is expected to hover between 7 and 9°C, while the maximum will likely range from 21 to 23°C.
