 "Winter, smog, fog, student, tourist, pollution, air, climate")
The morning temperature in Delhi on Monday was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts a mainly clear sky for the national capital, with the possibility of shallow to moderate fog in the morning. However, due to dense fog, many trains were cancelled and delayed by more than 10 hours in the national capital.
Dense fog and low visibility in North India
Satellite imagery from 6 am revealed a fog layer over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, North Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and extreme northwest Madhya Pradesh. Dense to very dense fog was reported in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and isolated pockets of Bihar, while moderate fog was observed in isolated pockets of Punjab, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. Isolated pockets of Rajasthan, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh reported shallow fog. In Delhi, visibility was recorded at 500 metres in Safdarjung and 200 metres in Palam. In Uttar Pradesh, areas including Bareilly, Bahraich, and Gorakhpur all reported 25-metre visibility early in the morning on Monday.
Orange and yellow alerts issued in several states
IMD has issued orange and yellow alerts for severe cold waves and extremely heavy rainfall in several states of Northern India. A wet spell over the Western Himalayan Region is expected from January 29 to February 3, possibly with heavy rainfall on January 30 and 31. Very dense fog and severe cold day conditions will likely persist over Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the next two days, gradually improving after that.
Train delays due to low visibility
The New Delhi Railway Station also continues to experience disruptions due to bad weather. The 02564 Barauni Clone Special is expected to arrive in Delhi delayed by over 17 hours, and the 22416 Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is running over 11 hours late. At least two other trains departing Delhi were delayed, and the 20808 Hirakund Express was cancelled, according to ANI.
Air quality "severe" in Delhi
The air quality in Delhi continues to be "very poor" and "severe" in different parts of the city. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded "very poor" air quality in ITO (362), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (386), Ashok Vihar (386), and Patparganj (399). Anand Vihar (409), R K Puram (402), Shadipur (401), and Wazipur (435) recorded "severe" air quality.
On Friday, the Centre held an emergency meeting to discuss measures to curb pollution in Delhi. The IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) reasoned that a dip in temperature and foggy weather allowed the accumulation of pollutants in Delhi. For now, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has decided to monitor the situation before invoking stricter curbs on pollution.
