Fri Jan 03 03:25:09 UTC 2025: ## Dense Fog Cripples North India: Flights, Trains Delayed, Schools Closed

**New Delhi, January 3, 2025** – A thick blanket of fog has engulfed large parts of North India, causing widespread disruption to air and rail travel and plunging temperatures. Delhi, in particular, has been severely impacted, experiencing its fifth consecutive cold day with a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.

Visibility plummeted to zero meters at Delhi’s Palam airport and 50 meters at Safdarjung Airport (neither used for commercial flights) at 8 am. This led to significant delays and cancellations for numerous airlines, including SpiceJet, IndiGo, and Air India. FlightRadar24 reported average delays of five minutes for arrivals and 11 minutes for departures at Delhi airport. SpiceJet reported disruptions to flights to and from Amritsar and Guwahati, while IndiGo issued a travel advisory for several routes, including Delhi, Amritsar, Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Guwahati. Airlines urged passengers to check flight schedules and warned of potential cancellations if poor visibility persists.

The dense fog also caused significant delays to train services. At least 24 trains departing from Delhi were delayed, with some experiencing delays exceeding three hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a Nowcast warning for dense to very dense fog across several areas including Delhi, parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. Light rain and snow are expected in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

The air quality in Delhi also deteriorated, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 309 at the Lodhi Road station, categorized as “Very Poor” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The cold wave prompted the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration to suspend classes in all schools until further notice. The IMD forecasts a low of 8 degrees Celsius for Delhi on Friday. The cold weather has led to residents resorting to measures such as bonfires to stay warm. The IMD predicts the fog will linger until January 8th, with light rain possibly on January 6th.

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