Delhi NCR continues to shiver amid ‘poor’ AQI; 23 trains delayed due to dense fog
Delhi continues to grapple with harsh weather conditions as cold wave keeps prevailing in the national capital on Friday, January.
Delhi and NCR cities woke up to poor visibility due to dense fog and ‘poor’ air quality, leading to several trains being delayed.
As many as 23 trains to Delhi have been delayed on Friday by one to six hours due to weather-related conditions in the national capital. Poor visibility and air quality index has caused these trains to run late, said the railways.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday reported zero visibility near the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport early in the morning due to “very dense fog conditions.” Earlier, the weather department had said that dense fog will prevail in Delhi NCR for the next three days.
As per AccuWeather, Delhi recorded a temperature of 6 degrees Celsius on Friday morning at 7 am. The temperature is expected to rise to around 18 degrees Celsius during the afternoon, with severe cold wave conditions likely to subside.
“Cold day” to “severe cold day” conditions were recorded across many northern states in India, including Delhi, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, during the last week of December 2023, with gradual relief from the biting cold.
A ‘cold day’ is recorded when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius, while a ‘severe cold day’ is when the maximum temperature is around 6.5 notches below normal.
Low visibility, 23 trains delayed in Delhi
Due to poor visibility and declining air quality in the national capital, as many as 23 trains heading to Delhi were delayed on Friday, January 12, by one to six hours. These trains include the Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Express and Rajendranagar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express.
The air quality index in several parts of Delhi, such as Patparganj and Mathura Road, was recorded at over 350 (very poor), while the AQI in NCR cities like Noida was recorded at around 327 at 8 am today.