Dense fog hits air and rail traffic in Delhi and north India

Several flights and trains were delayed on Wednesday as thick fog blanketed large swathes of north India, including Delhi, reducing visibility drastically across several states during the morning rush hours.

New Delhi

Fog blankets the Anand Vihar railway station in East Delhi on December 7, 2016. The weather condition has caused many trains to be delayed due to low visibility. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

Several flights and trains were delayed on Wednesday as thick fog blanketed large swathes of north India, including Delhi, reducing visibility drastically across several states during the morning rush hours.

Officials said 81 trains were running late, 21 have been rescheduled and three cancelled due to poor visibility in Delhi.

Eight international flights have also been delayed at the Indira Gandhi International airport due to the poor visibility on the runways, the officials added. Three international flights have been diverted and five domestic flights delayed.

The met office has warned of dense fog for at least a week from Wednesday.

“The fog season is likely to last from the second week of December to the second week of February. On average there will be about 20-21 days of dense fog during this period,” said RK Jenamani, head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

People tweeted photos of fog in the capital, warning others to drive carefully.

In Uttar Pradesh, foggy weather and biting cold disrupted normal life in most parts of the state for the last three days.

Several trains, including the Sealdah-Delhi Sampark Kranti Express, which passes through UP, were cancelled while over two dozen trains were either running late or very late.

Road transportation has also been affected in most parts of the state especially in the morning and evening hours.

“The fog season is likely to last from the second week of December to the second week of February. On average there will be about 20-21 days of dense fog during this period,” said RK Jenamani, head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Last year, there were 22 days of dense fog during the winter.