Flight and railway services in the Indian capital, New Delhi, were disrupted this morning, Tuesday, due to a thick layer of fog that reduced visibility to about 50 meters in some areas. The Indian Meteorological Department stated that the city is experiencing "very dense fog," with temperatures dropping to only nine degrees Celsius, adding that "dense to very dense fog" is likely in certain areas during the early hours of the day until tomorrow, Wednesday. The department mentioned that the "dense fog" contains particles and other pollutants, warning of its impact on the health of the 20 million residents living in the city.
The air quality index in New Delhi registered 376 this morning, which is classified as "very poor," according to the website of the Central Pollution Control Board. Levels from zero to 50 are considered good. The ANI news agency, which is partially owned by Reuters, reported that the dense fog caused the delay of at least 30 flights that were scheduled to land at or take off from Delhi Airport. The agency added that the fog also affected about 14 trains operating on routes in northern India. The Meteorological Department reported that other areas in northern India recorded similar weather conditions this morning, with temperatures ranging between six and ten degrees Celsius in most regions.
