Thick fog continues in Delhi; 110 flights, 25 trains hit
What's the story
Heavy fog continued to engulf Delhi on Wednesday, resulting in near-zero visibility in the national capital.
The operations of a whopping 110 flights at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, including arriving and departing international and domestic flights, were hit.
The foggy conditions also delayed over 25 trains arriving in or passing through Delhi stations.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted dense fog in parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh as well.
Details
Visibility drops to 50 meters, causing disruptions
The visibility at Delhi's Palam Airport was a mere 50 meters on Wednesday morning.
The IMD earlier issued a red alert in the national capital for "very dense fog" amid cold wave conditions.
Moreover, satellite images showed thick fog covering parts of the northwestern and central regions of the country, with visibility dropping to zero at Amritsar airport.
Other affected regions included Patiala, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Bareilly, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Rajasthan, Ganganagar, Kota, Gwalior, Patna, Gaya, Jamshedpur, Jharsugudam, Paradip, and Vijayawada.
Twitter Post
Visibility recorded by IMD in early hours of Wednesday
Visibility recorded at 0530 hours IST of today, the 27th December (m): Punjab: Amritsar-0, Patiala-25; Uttar Pradesh: Bareilly-25, Lucknow-25, Paryagraj-25 & Varanasi-50, Jhansi-200; Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior-200; Rajasthan: Ganganagar-50; Delhi Safdarjung-50; Delhi (Palam)-125. pic.twitter.com/hY5dCs6Zck
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 27, 2023
What Next?
Authorities issue guidelines for various sectors
In response to foggy conditions, authorities issued guidelines for the transport, aviation, power, and health sectors in the affected regions.
For transport and aviation, they recommended caution while driving or traveling, using fog lights, and staying updated with airlines, railways, and state transportation regarding travel schedules.
The power sector was advised to have maintenance teams on standby.
Moreover, people were encouraged to avoid going out unless necessary and to cover their faces when venturing outdoors.
Twitter Post
Advisory by IGI Airport authority for passengers
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/alYrkYgijG
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 26, 2023
Accident
1 killed, 24 injured in vehicle pile-up on Agra-Lucknow Expressway
According to India Today, a horrific accident killed one and injured 24 others on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway after the fog led to the collision of six vehicles, including three buses, one truck, and two cars.
The vehicles—moving toward Agra from Lucknow—reportedly hit each other from behind one after the other.
A double-decker bus had first lost control and hit the divider in the incident which took place near Nasirapur village in the Bangarmau area.
Insights
Previous flight disruptions in Delhi due to fog
Similar conditions prevailed in Delhi on Tuesday, with nearly 30 flights delayed at Delhi Airport due to fog and low visibility.
The arrival of 14 trains was also affected by the foggy conditions.
An IMD official said that visibility at Delhi's IGI Airport was only 50 meters at 10:00am on Tuesday.
The weather department had predicted that the dense fog would continue to develop overnight and early in the morning on Wednesday.