NEW DELHI: Delhi and the NCR region remained in the clutches of a persistent cold on Saturday, causing low visibility and flight delays due to dense fog.
The minimum temperature settled at 8.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday, two notches above the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD has forecasted a continued cold wave for two to three days.
The visibility at Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, and Palam was 500 metres at 5:30 am, the IMD said. The relative humidity oscillated between 100 per cent and 77 per cent.
A meteorological condition termed a ‘cold day’ is declared when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees below the normal, and the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius.
The IMD also reported the presence of dense fog in specific areas of Delhi. “Very dense fog conditions were observed in isolated pockets over Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, and East Madhya Pradesh, whereas dense fog was observed in some pockets over Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu, and West Madhya Pradesh,” it said.
Train services were impacted due to fog with 14 Delhi-bound trains getting delayed, according to officials. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 315 which is in the ‘very poor’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.