Cold wave tightens grip as dense fog blankets Delhi-NCR, flights delayed
PTC News Desk: A dangerous combination of thick fog, piercing cold and unhealthy pollution levels blanketed Delhi-NCR on a harsh Saturday morning, dropping visibility to alarming lows, disrupting flight schedules and aggravating the region’s pollution crisis.
The steep fall in temperatures, along with still air and poor atmospheric circulation, added to residents’ discomfort as the capital endured yet another intense winter phase.
Large swathes of north India woke up to a heavy fog cover, drastically reducing visibility in several states. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remained shrouded in dense to extremely dense fog.
Cities such as Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh reported near-zero visibility, while Lucknow, Varanasi and Prayagraj experienced dense fog with visibility ranging from 50 to 100 metres around 6.30 am.
In Delhi, the fog merged with toxic smog, worsening air quality and leading authorities to reintroduce Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan across the NCR. Delhi’s overall AQI touched 368 at 7 am—classified as ‘very poor’ by the Central Pollution Control Board. Several stations across the city even recorded readings above 400, entering the ‘severe’ zone.
- With inputs from agencies
