Chandigarh: 113 flights cancelled, 370 delayed in first half of January

From December 15 to December 31, as many as 57 flights were cancelled as compared to 63 cancelled in the same period in 2022.

Poor visibility amid adverse weather conditions spelt trouble for passengers at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport as 113 flights were cancelled in the first 15 days of January.

There was a brief respite from the biting cold conditions as the maximum temperature rose from 18.1°C on Tuesday to 19.3°C on Wednesday and the minimum went from 2.7°C to 4.9°C in Chandigarh. (HT File)

During the corresponding period last year, only 18 flight cancellations were reported.

From December 15 to December 31, as many as 57 flights were cancelled as compared to 63 cancelled in the same period in 2022.

Moreover, a total of 370 flights have already been delayed in the first half of this month compared to 67 flights in the first 15 days of January last year.

In 2022, 411 flights were delayed in the last 16 days of the month as compared to 67 from December 15 to December 31, 2023.

Meanwhile 10 flights have already been diverted this month as compared to three flights diverted in the corresponding period last year.

While nine flights were diverted in the last 16 days of the last month, seven flights were diverted in the same period in December 2022.

On Wednesday, four flights, including an arrival flight from Pune, three departure flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Twenty-four flights were also delayed on the day.

Brief respite from cold

There was a brief respite from the biting cold conditions as the maximum temperature rose from 18.1°C on Tuesday to 19.3°C on Wednesday and the minimum went from 2.7°C to 4.9°C. As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), chances of dense fog will continue in the coming days.

At 19.3°C, this was the warmest day of the month so far and 1.1 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature at 4.9°C was 2.5 degrees below normal, but this was the first day of relief after three days of consecutive cold wave conditions.

There was only shallow fog recorded in the city on Wednesday. Visibility was lowest at 5:30 am at 600 metres after which it improved by the morning itself.

As per IMD officials, chances of moderate to dense fog will continue for the next five days at least. Chances for cold day conditions and cold wave conditions will also continue, which are expected on days of dense fog.

Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain around 16°C while minimum temperature will remain around 6°C.