Large swathes of North India, including Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, remain in the grip of a punishing cold wave. On Saturday, the national capital recorded its coldest day of the season so far, with maximum temperatures plunging to 16.9°C, nearly five degrees below the seasonal average.
Travel Chaos: Aviation and Railways Hit Hard
The most significant impact has been felt at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi. Blinding fog reduced visibility to less than 50 meters in the early hours, forcing the activation of CAT-III low-visibility procedures.
- Flight Cancellations: Over 129 flights were cancelled on Saturday alone, including 66 arrivals and 63 departures.
- Airlines Affected: Major carriers like IndiGo and Air India issued travel advisories, with IndiGo reporting over 80 cancellations across its network due to the "ripple effect" of the weather.
- Railway Delays: More than 22 trains bound for New Delhi were reported delayed by up to 12 hours. The New Delhi Vande Bharat Express and Anand Vihar Jansadharan Express were among the worst affected.
IMD Forecast and Health Alerts
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Delhi and a Red Alert for parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
"Dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to prevail for the next 48 hours. We advise commuters to exercise extreme caution on highways where visibility is dangerously low," stated an IMD official.
Beyond travel, the combination of fog and stagnant air has pushed Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) back into the 'Severe' category (above 400), prompting health experts to warn against outdoor physical activities during early morning and late evening hours.
