An extreme cold wave continued in many parts of North India, including Delhi and its neighbouring areas, on Friday morning, with a thick layer of fog blanketing the region, significantly reducing visibility.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), this marked the fifth consecutive day of a cold wave, with the city experiencing a significant drop in maximum temperature. As the fog engulfed the city, traffic movement was disrupted due to poor visibility.
The general visibility at Delhi airport was 50 metres and runway visibility was reduced to zero at 7 am. The airport authorities warned that the situation could impact flight operations.
“While landings and take-offs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant (low-visibility landing feature) may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” an advisory on Friday morning said.
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange warning for Delhi, anticipating “dense to very dense fog” and has also predicted a partly cloudy sky on Friday.
In Noida, classes till 8 in all schools have been closed until further orders in view of cold weather conditions. The weather department has predicted a low of 8 degrees Celsius on Friday.
States including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Bihar are also experiencing a severe cold wave accompanied by thick fog.
As the mercury plummeted across several parts of Bihar, including the state capital Patna, the minimum temperatures are expected to remain between 6-11 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. In response, the government has ordered changes in school timings. All schools will operate from 9 am to 4 pm until January 6.
In Rajasthan’s Fatehpur, located in the Sikar district, the lowest temperature recorded in the past 24 hours was 3.6 degrees Celsius.