The northern states of India have been experiencing dense fog over the past few days which has led to major delays and disruptions in air and train travel. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), blanketed fog reduced visibility to as low as 25 meters in some parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from December 28th till New Year’s Day.
On December 28th alone, over 134 domestic and international flights at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport faced delays of up to several hours. Around 35 international departures and 28 international arrivals were held up due to poor visibility from the dense fog. Similarly, 43 domestic flights departed late and 28 domestic arrivals were delayed landing in the capital city. The low visibility affected both morning and late evening flights.
At New Delhi Railway Station, 22 trains witnessed delays ranging from 2 to 6 hours as the fog descended. Commuters had to wait it out longer than expected at the airport and station. Those who had to travel inter-city faced challenging driving conditions on foggy national and state highways as well.
The IMD had predicted especially dense fog in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir from late evening until the morning over the last few days of 2023. On the morning of December 28th, visibility dropped down to a dismal 50 meters at Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory and even lower at 25 meters in Palam near the airport. Other northern states reported visibility between 50 to 25 meters due to the dense blanket of fog.
The weather department warned that fog conditions were expected to intensify further and spread to more areas of Uttar Pradesh and parts of north Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. They advised citizens to take precautions like using fog lights while driving in these low visibility conditions. A dense white haze hung over the region reducing clarity visually both on the ground and in the air.
Air quality in Delhi remained at “very poor” levels for two consecutive days according to measurements by the Central Pollution Control Board. The cold wave prevailing over northern India aided the formation of thick fog and also kept temperatures cool, with Delhi registering minimums of 6 degrees Celsius. This dense fog coupled with low temperatures caused inconvenience to residents and travelers.
As the cold snap and foggy weather is projected to last till the New Year across North India, district administrations in Uttar Pradesh declared school holidays in cities like Meerut and Bareilly. Road and rail operations were running delayed schedules to account for slower speeds and halts in restricted visibility. Collision rates also rose on some roads engulfed by heavy fog, with multiple accidents reported from Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Yamuna Expressway injuring several people.
The dense fog has disrupted daily life and travel plans for many in North India this week. Citizens are braving the low visibility and respiratory impacts of air pollution aggravated by the weather conditions. Authorities are monitoring to ensure safety of commuters, with the discomfort set to prevail till fog clears with the turning of the new year. It remains to be seen if 2024 brings clearer skies with the retreat of winter fog from Northern India.
