As Delhi woke up to a thick layer of dense fog Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an ‘orange’ warning for dense to very dense fog conditions impacting travel across the national capital region.
The IMD warning also said that routes to the Delhi airport, railway stations and several highways may be affected. Slower journey times are anticipated in the national capital owing to difficult driving conditions amid the fog. This comes after the IMD’s ‘yellow alert’ on Sunday anticipating dense fog conditions and colder weather for the next three days till Wednesday.
Action suggested
In light of these conditions, IMD has also issued several safety recommendations for commuters, including careful travel while driving or on any transport. It also urged people commuting with vehicles to use fog lights while driving.
Additionally, travellers should remain in contact with airlines, railway services, and state transport authorities regarding the status of their journeys.
The city is likely to record a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius, according to the weather department.
Following a slight improvement in air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management also revoked the anti-pollution curbs under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect on Sunday evening.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, air quality was reported as “poor” on Sunday at 278. This was an improvement from the “very poor” air quality (327 AQI) reported a day before.
As per the IMD, the last time visibility dropped to zero in Delhi was between January 2 and 3 for nine consecutive hours, the longest stretch recorded this season.
On Saturday, 209 flights, including arrivals and departures, were delayed while 5 flights were cancelled. Meanwhile, 45 trains were delayed due to the dense fog.
According to the IMD, the forecast for the week indicates that both maximum and minimum temperatures will dip below normal levels. The minimum temperature is expected to remain around 6 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is projected to reach about 19 degrees Celsius. Additionally, very dense fog is anticipated on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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