The national capital is under orange alert on Saturday as dense to very dense fog covered major parts of Delhi. This led to reduced visibility as well as poor air quality in the metropolis. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also forecast disruption in transport due to the chances of fog in Delhi.
As per the IMD, Delhi can expectdense to very dense fog at some places during the morning of December 20. The weather forecasting agency also stated that there would be cold wave conditions in the national capital on the given date. The minimum temperature is expected to hover around 9 degrees Celsius, whereas minimum and maximum temperatures are also expected to remain near normal.
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The IMD has a colour-coded alert system – green (no alert), yellow (be aware), orange (be prepared), and red (take action). On Friday, the red alert had already been issued, which stated that the impact of fog could be seen on airport, road, and railway mobility.
Foggy conditions are also expected in the surrounding areas of the NCR. Noida will experience dense fog, with the possibility of maximum and minimum temperatures of 17 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively. On the other hand, Gurugram will experience a partly cloudy sky, along with a temperature range of 18 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius.
IMD outlook for coming days
IMD has issued a yellow alert for the national capital for December 21 and 22. In these two days, the city could experience a partly cloudy sky with moderate fog at many places and dense fog at isolated places in the morning.
Flight operations continue amid low visibility
Following the weather conditions, Indira Gandhi International Airport posted a passenger advisory message on Saturday morning. In the message posted at 7:00 am, the airport stated, "Low Visibility Procedures are still in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are functioning normally. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates."
The airport had previously announced that flight operations had been affected on Friday, but visibility was gradually improving. Landings and take-offs were taking place.
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Air quality remains severe in parts of Delhi
There was hardly any respite in terms of pollution either, as the capital woke up to the toxic smog in Delhi. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI), at around 7 am, stood at 380, which fell under the “very poor” category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Some areas had “severe” levels of AQI.
The data from the CPCB indicated an AQI level of 428 in the Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar areas, 420 at Akshardham, 403 at Rao Tularam Marg, 407 at Ashok Vihar, and 429 at ITO. Such levels indicate the deteriorating quality of air in the capital.
