A thick, persistent fog shrouded the national capital on Monday, severely disrupting air and road travel while pushing air quality into the hazardous 'severe' category. The dense blanket reduced visibility to a mere 50 metres, creating chaos for commuters and airlines alike.
Transportation Grinds to a Halt
The fog, which lingered for seven hours, marked the season's second-longest spell after an eight-and-a-half-hour episode on December 19. The impact on aviation was severe: at least 130 flights were cancelled, eight were diverted, and over 450 faced delays. Road transport on key highways and expressways across the Indo-Gangetic plain was also badly hit, with very low visibility reported from late night through the early morning.
Weather Forecast and Expert Analysis
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to dense fog conditions for both Tuesday and Wednesday. It stated that 'very dense to dense fog' is likely during night and morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and west Uttar Pradesh until December 31, and over east Uttar Pradesh until January 1, with a reduction expected thereafter.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice-Chairman of Skymet Weather, explained that while fog intensity dipped slightly, moderate to dense conditions will persist until at least January 1. "Travel will be risky on highways from late night up to 10 am," he warned, citing light winds, high humidity, low temperatures, and clear skies as contributing factors.
Temperature and Air Quality Worsen
Despite the fog, the IMD's yellow alert for 'cold day' conditions in isolated pockets did not materialize. Palawat confirmed that such conditions are unlikely now. The minimum temperature settled at 8.3 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, while the maximum was 20.3 degrees Celsius. Areas like Mayur Vihar and Palam recorded lower maximums of 16.7 and 18 degrees respectively.
The air quality deteriorated sharply alongside the fog. The Air Quality Index (AQI) entered the 'severe' zone, registering 401 at 4 PM, a jump from 390 ('very poor') the previous day. By 6 PM, several monitoring stations reported critically high pollution levels:
- Wazirpur: 462
- Jahangirpuri: 460
- Rohini: 456
- Anand Vihar: 455
With foggy conditions set to continue, authorities predict air quality will remain in the 'very poor' to 'severe' range for the next several days. The IITM Pune has forecast that air quality on January 1 is likely to be severe.
What Lies Ahead?
The IMD predicts no significant change in minimum temperatures over the next two days, followed by a gradual rise of one to three degrees. Consequently, minimums will be normal for the next three days and above normal on January 1. Maximum temperatures are also expected to be above normal. There is a possibility of very light to light rain on New Year's Day.
For Delhi's residents and travelers, the advisory is clear: exercise extreme caution on roads, especially during night and morning hours, and be prepared for continued flight disruptions and unhealthy air until the fog begins to lift after the New Year.
