A dense layer of fog blanketed Delhi on Tuesday morning, reducing visibility to zero and causing significant train delays, officials reported. By 6 a.m., 39 trains were running behind schedule, with delays ranging from 30 minutes to as much as four hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated, “Visibility at Palam dropped to zero since 4:30 a.m. IST, accompanied by southeasterly winds blowing at 6-8 kmph.” At Safdarjung, visibility was restricted to just 50 metres in dense fog from 5:30 a.m. IST, with calm wind conditions, according to the IMD.
The minimum temperature in Delhi stood at 8.9 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, air quality remained poor, with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 256 at 9 a.m.
The IMD has forecast dense to very dense fog throughout the day, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius.
For reference, an AQI of 0-50 is classified as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor, and 401-500 as severe.
