The dense fog enveloped Delhi and its neighboring regions on Wednesday morning, leading to zero visibility and disrupting road, rail, and air travel. Reports indicated that the capital is likely to experience rainfall for two days due to a western disturbance in the Himalayan region. Trains heading from the Delhi might face delays due to the thick fog, while the Indira Gandhi International Airport reported zero visibility from 1:30 am onwards, affecting flight operations, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD advised that while landings and takeoffs were continuing at Delhi airport, flights not compliant with CAT III standards might encounter disruptions. Passengers were urged to check with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates, and any inconvenience caused was sincerely apologized for, as mentioned in the announcement. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 21.4 degrees Celsius (slightly below the normal range) and a minimum temperature of 8.7 degrees Celsius (within the normal range).
In the nationwide weather forecast, dense to very dense fog conditions were expected in the morning hours in isolated areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on January 31 and February 2, with dense fog in isolated areas on February 3. Similar conditions were predicted for East Uttar Pradesh on January 31 and February 1, as well as in West Uttar Pradesh on January 31. The Meteorological Department also projected dense fog in isolated areas for a few hours in the morning in Odisha from January 31 to February 2, and in north Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal, and Bihar on January 31. A temperature increases of 2-4 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures was forecasted for many parts of Northwest and Central India over the next three days, with no significant changes expected thereafter, according to the Met Department.