Dense fog envelops region; flights affected at Delhi airport

Many areas in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi reported dense fog and cold on Monday morning.

Delhi woke up to a chilly morning with the air quality deteriorating as the city's air quality index (AQI) touched 402 at 8 am, slipping into the ‘severe’ category.

Dense fog blanketed Delhi, sharply reducing visibility. At least 128 flights were cancelled, eight got diverted, and nearly 200 services were delayed at the Delhi airport due to dense fog.

An official said 64 departures and 64 arrivals were cancelled, while eight flights got diverted due to dense fog and low visibility conditions at the Delhi airport.

Delhi airport operator DIAL, in a post on X, said runway visibility is improving, but some flight departures and arrivals may be impacted.

There was no let-up in severe cold in Punjab and Haryana.

Hisar in Haryana was the coldest place, shivering at 2.1 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal.

Among other places in Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 8 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal, while Karnal logged 8.6 degrees Celsius, three degrees above average.

The minimum temperature in Narnaul was registered at 4 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal, the Met said, adding that Rohtak's low was 7.2 degrees Celsius.

According to the weather officer, Bhiwani recorded a low of 5.5 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog was witnessed in many areas, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot, Mohali in Punjab and Ambala, Hisar and Rohtak in Haryana.

The visibility in many places in Punjab and Haryana was less than 50 meters, an official of the MeT department said.

Chandigarh registered a minimum of 7.2 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, the weather department added.

Ballowal Saunkhri in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district was the coldest place in Punjab with a low of 2.4 degrees Celsius.

The Met said Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana logged 5.6 degrees Celsius. Patiala registered a low of 6.4 degrees Celsius.

It added that Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur recorded their respective minimum temperatures of 4.2, 4.9 and 4.3 degrees Celsius. With agencies