Delhi Under IMD's Orange Alert As Dense Fog Hits Flights, Train Operations

Dense fog in Delhi caused flight and train delays on Tuesday with over 100 flights affected at the Delhi Airport due to low visibility.

A thick layer of fog disrupted flight and train operations in the national capital as it reduced the visibility to zero amid an orange alert by the India Meteorological Department on Friday. 

"Zero visibility has prevailed over Palam since 4.30 IST with southeasterly winds blowing at 6-8 kmph," said the IMD, adding visibility remains limited to a minimum of 50 meters in Safdarjung in dense fog since 5.30 IST with calm winds, reported PTI. 

Over 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi Airport and dense fog lowered the visibility conditions while more than 20 trains arriving in Delhi were running late.  

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) urged passengers to contact the airlines concerned for updated flight information and also regretted any inconvenience caused to the passengers.

"Due to dense fog, there has been impact on flight departures, however, flights which are CAT III compliant are able to land and depart from Delhi airport," airport operator DIAL said in a post on X at 5.52 am.

CAT III compliance allows flight to operate under low visibility conditions.

IndiGo also asked passengers to stay updated on flight status before heading to the airport. 

"We strongly recommend planning extra time for your journey to the airport as foggy conditions in Delhi are reducing visibility and slowing down traffic," IndiGo said.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi handles around 1,300 flight movements daily. 

In Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, several vehicles collided due to dense fog on the Delhi-Lucknow Highway near the Bahadurgarh station area.