NEW DELHI: Dense fog engulfed Delhi-NCR on Tuesday morning, even as the India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert warning of continued disruptions in visibility on Wednesday and over the next few days.
The thick fog, coupled with a fresh dip in temperatures, prompted Delhi airport authorities to caution passengers about possible flight delays.
On Tuesday, the capital recorded a maximum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius, while air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category. The maximum temperature at the city’s base station was 0.2 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
Station-wise data showed that Palam recorded a below-normal maximum temperature of 19.5 degrees Celsius, with the minimum at 8.6 degrees Celsius. Lodi Road registered a maximum of 21.8 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 9.6 degrees Celsius, while the Ridge station logged a maximum temperature of 21.7 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 11.0 degrees Celsius.
At Ayanagar, the maximum temperature stood at 21.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum dipped to 10.3 degrees Celsius. No rainfall was recorded at any weather station during the past 24 hours, officials said. During the morning hours, visibility dropped sharply to 100 metres at both Palam and Safdarjung, according to the weather office.
For Wednesday, the IMD has forecast a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 22 degrees Celsius, with dense fog conditions likely under a yellow alert.
On the air quality front, Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 272 on Tuesday, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).