Dense fog in Delhi, visibility drops to zero in many parts, over 100 flights delayed

MORE than 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning as visibility dropped to zero in some areas due to dense fog.

A thick blanket of fog engulfed the national capital in the morning, with the weather department predicting cloudy skies for much of the day.

Delhi's minimum temperature was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.

An official said over 100 flights have been delayed at the Delhi airport due to bad weather conditions but there are no diversions so far.

"While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X at 6.35 am.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the IGI Airport experienced very dense fog with visibility recorded at 0 metres.

It said all runways are operating under CAT-III, which allows aircraft to operate in low visibility conditions.

The IGI airport handles around 1,300 flight movements daily.

At 8 am, Palam weather station reported very dense fog with 0 metres visibility and calm winds over the past two hours, while the city's primary weather station, Safdarjung, reported visibility of 50 metres with calm winds, according to a weather department official.

The weather office has predicted very dense fog for Friday, with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 17 degrees Celsius.

Delhi's air quality was in the "very poor" category, with an AQI reading of 351 at 9 am. The humidity was recorded at 100 per cent at 8.30 am.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". (PTI)