The weather has suddenly changed in North India. Dense fog, poisonous smog and severe cold have severely affected life as well as air traffic. The impact of the weather is clearly visible from Varanasi to Delhi and the hilly states, where flights have been affected due to very low visibility and the cold has increased the problems of the people.
There was a huge drop in visibility at Varanasi Airport after sunset on Monday. Visibility was reported to be completely zero, affecting flight operations.
Worrying situation in Delhi
The situation appeared even more worrying in the capital Delhi. A thick layer of poisonous smog remained around Shanti Path and Niti Marg. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) in this area was recorded at 384, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category.
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More than 500 flights delayed
Bad weather and low visibility had a direct impact on Delhi Airport. More than 500 flights were delayed on Monday, while at least 14 flights were cancelled. According to officials, the canceled flights include 6 arrivals and 8 departures, including international flights.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), typically handles around 1,300 flights daily. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, more than 500 flights were delayed by an average of more than 30 minutes. For the past several days, dense fog has been hampering operations at many airports in the country.
Severe cold in most parts of North India
The impact of weather was not limited to flights only. Severe cold was recorded in most parts of North India including Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. However, at many places the minimum temperature remained slightly above normal. Visibility was affected for some time in Delhi also due to fog.
Dense fog alert in many states of North India till December 27
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that dense to very dense fog may persist in many states of North India till December 27. The maximum temperature in Delhi was recorded between 16 to 18 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was recorded between 8 to 11 degrees Celsius. In some areas the minimum temperature remained above normal, while the maximum temperature remained below normal.
According to IMD, visibility in Palam had reduced to 150 meters due to moderate fog at 8 am on Monday, which improved to 400 meters due to shallow fog at 9:30 am.
How will be the weather of Delhi?
Expressing hope of relief, the Meteorological Department has said that the temperature in Delhi is likely to be close to normal on December 25, Christmas Day. During this period, the sky may remain clear and there may be light fog in the morning.
Effect of cold in Punjab and Haryana also
The effect of cold continued in Punjab and Haryana also, although at many places the minimum temperature was recorded above the seasonal average. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.7 degrees in Amritsar and 7.2 degrees in Ludhiana. In Haryana, the minimum temperature in Ambala was 10 degrees, Hisar was 8.9 degrees and Karnal was 9 degrees.
Due to recent rains in Kashmir, there has been a rise in night temperature and a fall in day temperature. The Meteorological Department has predicted rain or snowfall again in the next 12 hours. Moderate snowfall is expected in the higher reaches and light rain in the plains.
What is the condition of hill states?
Weather alert has also been issued in Himachal Pradesh. The local meteorological department has issued a yellow alert regarding dense fog in the morning and late night in Bhakra Dam reservoir area (Bilaspur), some parts of Una district and Balh Valley (Mandi) till December 26. Shimla Meteorological Office has predicted light snowfall and rain in higher areas on December 28.
According to the Meteorological Department, there may be widespread light to moderate rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir from 23 to 27 December and then on 28 December. There is a possibility of light rain and snowfall at different places in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on 22 and 28 December.
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