Delhiites in some areas woke up to fog on Saturday morning amid persistent cold weather, with low visibility conditions affecting flight and train operations in the city.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast "very dense fog" for Saturday for Delhi, which recorded a temperature around 11 degree Celsius at 7:30 am.
The minimum temperature for the day is expected to settle at 7 degree Celsius, while the maximum is likely to hover around 19 degree Celsius.
According to the weather department's forecast, the foggy conditions are expected to continue for the next three days, before "rain or thunderstorms" on January 22 and 23.
As many as 47 trains headed towards the national capital were delayed till 6 am due to the foggy weather, PTI reported citing the Indian Railways. Several flights at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport were also delayed due to fog, news agency ANI reported.
Notably, the air quality index of Delhi improved on Friday after rains, resulting in Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoking restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
{{/usCountry}}Notably, the air quality index of Delhi improved on Friday after rains, resulting in Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoking restrictions under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
{{/usCountry}}“As per the air quality and weather forecast provided by IMD/IITM, there is a likelihood of AQI to remain in lower end of the Very Poor category in the coming days owing to the favourable meteorological conditions and strong wind speeds," the CAQM statement read.
During winters, the Delhi-NCR region enforces restrictions under GRAP, which categorizes air quality into four stages – Stage 1 (Poor, AQI 201-300), Stage 2 (Very Poor, AQI 301-400), Stage 3 (Severe, AQI 401-450), and Stage 4 (Severe Plus, AQI above 450).
The overall AQI of Delhi at around 8 am on Saturday stood at 248, according to the Sameer app which provides hourly data on the National Air Quality Index.
Cold wave in North India
Temperatures across North India have taken a dip amid continued cold wave conditions, with several states engulfed in thick layers of fog.
Parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Prayagraj where the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela is being held, were covered in dense fog.
Dense fog also enveloped Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning, severely affecting visibility conditions. Visuals from Gwalior city showed little to no visibility on the roads.
Meanwhile, higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh experienced light to moderate snowfall and saw some light rain as mercury hovered between 1-5 degree Celsius in many parts of the state.
The IMD has also warned of cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over Himachal during January 17-19.
In its weather bulletin, it predicted that dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to continue in many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh on January 18, Chandigarh on January 19, and East Rajasthan on January 18.
Additionally, the weather department said that there will be no significant change in minimum temperatures over Northwest India during the next 48 hours, adding that it will gradually increase by 2-3 degree Celsius thereafter.
(with inputs from agencies)