Flights delayed as fog engulfs Delhi, visibility affected

As many as sixteen flights have been delayed due to dense fog in Delhi on Saturday. In addition, 11 international and five domestic flights have been delayed as vast swathes of north India including Delhi felt the drop in temperature and increased fog. The Met office said the minimum temperature at Palam, near the airport, was recorded at 14 degree Celsius.

As the chill tightened its grip on the national capital, many were seen huddling around bonfires to keep themselves warm. In the face of the biting cold, many were also seen taking refuge at a night shelter at AIIMS. Similar scenes were also in evidence elsewhere, with locals under heavy blankets and quilts cooped up at night shelters in the Lodhi Road area. Locals out cycling or taking morning walks said the mercury fell significantly in the early hours of Saturday and the cold was extreme.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi, according to SAFAR-India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), was recorded in the ‘Very Poor’ range at 8.07 am on Saturday.