Dense fog disrupts flight, train services in New Delhi

Heavy fog engulfed the national capital on Wednesday - the first this season, delaying 18 flights and 50 north-bound trains. Five of the flights were diverted due to poor visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport where low visibility procedures were implemented.

“More than 18 flights were delayed due to the sharp drop in runway visibility, forcing the airport authorities to switch to operations under LVP,” officials said. The visibility was recorded at 800 metres at 5:30 AM, which dropped to 200 metres three hours later.

The relative humidity was recorded at 98 per cent. “This is the season’s first fog cover the skies are expected to remain clear during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 28 degrees Celsius,” the official said.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average. According to railway officials, 50 Delhi-bound services from Patna, Ranchi, Howrah, Bhubaneswar and other places were affected due to the thick fog cover.

“The trains were running late between one to three hours,” an official said.