Expect relief, but only short-lived

Delhi's run with foggy weather, an annual feature in the Capital, continued on Tuesday as well, reports Avishek G Dastidar.

Delhi's run with foggy weather, an annual feature in the Capital, continued on Tuesday as well. Dense fog engulfed the city in the morning and stayed on till mid-noon. It made for the usual story. Traffic moved at snail’s pace, airline operations went off schedule and trains ran late.

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Poor visibility

The scene on Tuesday was the same as on the last two days since the fourth spell of fog hit the city this season on New Year’s Eve. The Safdarjung Met office said visibility in the morning was reduced to 200 metres. Delhi Airport also saw visibility drop to a mere 350 metres. Dr J.B. Singh of the National Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasting under the Ministry of Earth Sciences said a western disturbance was the main culprit.

Brighter days ahead?

An Indian Metrological Department officer at Safdarjung said Wednesday could be a bit better. “The extra nip in the air one experienced on Tuesday was due to a chilly northwesterly wind. This dry wind blew much of the moisture away from Delhi’s air. Therefore, Wednesday could be brighter with lesser fog,” he said. “Wednesday could see a slight drop in the minimum temperature at 7 degrees Celsius,” he said.

But this reprieve is likely to be short

According to advanced weather forecast instruments of the NCMRWF, a repeat of western disturbance is in the offing in northern states. “It is a vicious cycle. The ensuing WD will again make the city’s air moist and, in all probability, dense fog will return after January 4,” Dr JB Singh said.

Email Avishek G Dastidar: avishek.dastidar@hindustantimes.com