Delhi winters: Very dense fog reduces visibility at IGI Airport, over 15 flights diverted

Delhi witnessed cold wave conditions for the fifth consecutive day on Monday even as dense fog reduced visibility to just 25 metres, affecting road, rail and air traffic, officials said. Around 15 flights were delayed and one was diverted due to bad weather, Indira Gandhi International Airport officials said. Some flights were also diverted due to low visibility at India’s largest international airport in the national capital.

An India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said the visibility level dropped to 25 meters at the Palam observatory near IGI airport and Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station.

The satellite images showed a layer of fog extending from Punjab and adjoining north-west Rajasthan to Bihar via Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Cold wave conditions prevailed in the capital for the fifth consecutive day, though there was a marginal rise in the minimum temperature.

The Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius as against 1.9 degrees on Sunday. Lodhi Road, Ayanagar and Ridge weather stations recorded minimum temperatures of 3.6 degrees, 3.2 degrees and 3.3 degrees.

with PTI inputs