NEW DELHI: An unexpected thick haze, similar to fog, had blanketed North India on Tuesday, affecting residents in Meerut, Muradabad, Greater Noida, Saharanpur, and parts of Haryana and lower Uttarakhand. Visibility has also significantly decreased in several areas including in Delhi and its surrounding areas, which has also seen a rise in air pollution recently.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has haracterised this phenomenon as dense fog affecting parts of Uttar Pradesh and nearby regions, stating that it is typical for this time of year.
According to the IMD, the fog-like conditions resulted from the incursion of easterly winds at lower altitudes, bringing higher moisture levels that created dense fog and reduced visibility during the morning hours on Tuesday. This incursion was linked to a western disturbance impacting the western Himalayas.
The IMD noted, “This situation is not unusual. In the past, dense fog events in March under similar meteorological conditions have been observed, such as on March 6-8, 2008, which caused significant disruptions to critical electrical power transmission lines across North India.”
The department also highlighted that similar fog occurrences have been seen in the Indo-Gangetic plains during March in previous years. “Historical data shows that dense fog can occur in this region in the early parts of March,” the IMD added.
In contrast, the private weather agency Skymet Weather Services referred to the thick haze as ‘dust haze’ due to low-level easterly winds affecting central areas. This situation arose from strong winds blowing from the west between March 5 and March 7, which carried dust from Balochistan, central Pakistan, and the Thar Desert to Delhi.
Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather, explained, “The wind speed has decreased, which has caused the dust to remain suspended in the atmosphere.” Meanwhile. Experts have refuted the wild rumours that haze or fog is due to the plume of smoke caused after the bombing of Iran’s refineries. They said wind direction is not favourable for bringing that smoke toward Delhi.
Meanwhile, Delhi witnessed another warm day on Tuesday as the maximum temperature rose to 35.5 degrees Celsius, 7.1 degrees above normal, while a persistent daytime haze lingered over the city, likely caused by westerly winds carrying dust from desert regions.
It is said that temperatures this year are expected to remain higher than usual, indicating the possibility of a hotter summer. According to the IMD, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung was recorded at 35.5 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature stood at 18.8 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees above normal.
Station-wise data showed maximum temperatures of 34.4°C at Palam, 35.6°C at Lodhi Road, 35.6°C at Ridge, and 35.8°C at Ayanagar. Minimum temperatures were 18.8°C at Palam and Lodhi Road, 19.6°C at Ridge, and 18.4°C at Ayanagar.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Wednesday, with the maximum temperature likely to reach around 37°C and the minimum around 18°C. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 265, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).