Fog and Cold Wave Disrupt Delhi Flights and Grip Northern India

Foggy conditions in Delhi delayed flights and impacted several parts of India on Thursday. The city's temperature was 12.6°C, while air quality remained poor. Night shelters in Delhi housed the homeless. Fog also affected Prayagraj, West Bengal, Odisha, and Kashmir, with adverse weather continuing in these regions.

Foggy weather threw flight schedules into disarray at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning, as multiple flights faced delays. The India Meteorological Department reported a chilly 12.6 degrees Celsius in the capital at 5:30 a.m.

As the Central Pollution Control Board recorded a concerning Air Quality Index (AQI) of 262 at 8 a.m., the city's air quality was deemed poor, a significant health concern for its citizens. Typically, AQI levels between 201-300 signal poor air quality, detrimental to sensitive groups.

Amid these challenging conditions, the city's homeless sought refuge in night shelters as the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) deployed 235 pagoda tents. Meanwhile, Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, hosting the Mahakumbh festival, was shrouded in thick fog, although worshippers continued to throng the holy Triveni Sangam.

Not spared from adverse weather, Prayagraj reported 12.8 degrees Celsius at 5:30 a.m. Elsewhere, fog enveloped Ayodhya, while a cold wave cast a pall over the city. Similar conditions persisted in West Bengal and Odisha, notably at Sainthia Junction railway station and in Puri, respectively.

Kashmir Valley's cold wave saw temperatures plummet to minus 0.5 degrees Celsius in Srinagar, with a forecast of rain predicted in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, and northern Rajasthan on January 23, suggesting continued volatile weather.

(With inputs from agencies.)