Fog grips Delhi-NCR as temperatures slide, flights face delays

Delhi-NCR woke up to a thick blanket of fog on February 3, with plunging temperatures and poor visibility disrupting air travel and amplifying the winter chill across the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for reduced visibility, cautioning that foggy conditions could persist over the next few days.

The dense fog prompted Delhi airport authorities to warn passengers of possible flight delays, as visibility dropped to 100 metres at both Palam and Safdarjung airports during the early morning hours.

According to the IMD, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, marginally above the seasonal average. However, the cold spell sharpened on February 2, when Delhi logged its coldest February day in four years.

Data from the Safdarjung observatory showed the maximum temperature settling at 17.5 degrees Celsius, nearly five degrees below normal. This marked the lowest February maximum since February 3, 2022, when the mercury had dipped to 14.4 degrees Celsius.

Although sunshine emerged briefly later in the day, partly cloudy skies dominated, offering little relief from the biting cold.

Air quality continued to be a parallel concern. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 254 at 7 am, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category, according to official data. The Air Quality Early Warning System has forecast pollution levels to remain ‘poor’ until January 28, with a likely improvement to ‘moderate’ levels from January 29.

On February 2, the city’s average AQI was 188, with 21 monitoring stations reporting ‘moderate’ air quality and 16 stations falling in the ‘poor’ bracket, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed.

Under CPCB norms, AQI levels between 201 and 300 are classified as ‘poor’, indicating increased health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.