Delhi weather update: Dense smog brings visibility down; trains, flights likely to be impacted

Winter's effects have begun to appear, as the national capital continued to be badly affected by heavy pollution early on Wednesday morning, despite the AQI being in the "Very Poor" category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, which also showed the air quality index score of 334 yesterday at 4 pm, the AQI in Delhi was 393 at 5 am today.

Other areas which had an AQI of above 300 include Anand Vihar, which recorded an AQI of 396, Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 389, ITO with an AQI of 378 and IGI Airport with an AQI of 368, according to the data.

As winter approaches, the city is covered in a layer of haze, which made it difficult to see clearly this morning. At 8:30 a.m. today, the IGI Airport in Delhi reported visibility of 00 meters. Due to poor visibility, fog also affected train travel. According to railway authorities, "Loco pilots approaching Delhi are maintaining speed restrictions."

The Indira Gandhi International Airport issued an advisory and said that flights which were not compliant with CAT III would be affected due to the fog.

"While landings and take-offs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted." Visuals from the Delhi-Meerut Expressway also showed the visibility reducing to near-zero in the region.

According to the IMD, there has been a notable shift in the weather, with morning fog conditions becoming more intense. The city has been covered in dense to extremely dense fog. With a drop of 0.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature in the past 24 hours is 17.0 degrees Celsius today and 17.9 degrees Celsius yesterday morning. When sunlight is cut off, the maximum temperature may drop because fog and haze cover lasts longer during the day, according to the IMD.