New Delhi – Over 300 flights delayed dense fog became the reality for thousands of travelers on Monday morning as Delhi experienced severe weather conditions that persisted for more than six hours. The capital city logged dense fog following patchy light rain the previous day, with a western disturbance maintaining elevated moisture levels throughout the region.
Visibility plummeted to dangerously low levels, reaching just 100 metres in several parts of the city. This dramatic reduction in visibility forced aviation authorities to implement special procedures at Delhi airport, resulting in widespread disruption to flight schedules. The flights delayed dense fog situation highlighted the continued vulnerability of air travel to adverse weather conditions during winter months.
Visibility Conditions and Fog Classification
According to an India Meteorological Department official, both Safdarjung and Palam weather stations recorded minimum visibility at 100 metres during the early morning hours. The dense fog conditions persisted until approximately 9 am before beginning to clear, creating an extended period during which flights delayed dense fog became inevitable.
The IMD employs a specific classification system for fog based on visibility measurements. Shallow fog is classified when visibility ranges between 1000-500 metres, moderate fog between 500-200 metres, dense fog between 199-50 metres, and very dense fog when visibility drops below 50 metres. Monday’s conditions qualified as dense fog at multiple measurement points across Delhi.
Airport Operations and Low Visibility Procedures
Low visibility procedures were initiated at Delhi airport in response to the deteriorating conditions, directly impacting flight operations and causing delays. The implementation of these safety protocols meant that flights delayed dense fog experienced various degrees of disruption depending on their scheduled departure or arrival times.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 provided real-time data showing the extent of disruption, with over 300 flights experiencing delays. The majority of affected flights were departures rather than arrivals, suggesting that the fog’s impact was most pronounced during the critical early morning departure window when visibility was at its worst.
Average Delay Duration
The flights delayed dense fog situation resulted in an average delay time of approximately 25 minutes per affected flight. While this may seem relatively modest compared to complete cancellations, the cumulative effect on hundreds of flights created significant inconvenience for thousands of passengers and ripple effects throughout airline schedules.
The 25-minute average delay masked variations in individual flight delays, with some experiencing shorter disruptions while others faced longer waiting periods depending on when they were scheduled during the fog’s peak intensity period.
Temperature Anomalies
Beyond the flights delayed dense fog issue, Monday’s weather brought notable temperature deviations from seasonal norms. Delhi’s maximum temperature stood at 17.5°C, representing a significant five-degree departure below normal for this time of year. This marked a dramatic drop from 24.6°C recorded just one day earlier.
The minimum temperature measured 10.4°C on Monday, which was two degrees above normal, down from 12.1°C the previous day. Overcast skies persisted throughout the day, contributing to the suppressed maximum temperature. Despite the massive departure from normal maximum temperature, no cold day was officially declared because the minimum temperature remained above 10°C.
Weather Forecast and Alerts
The India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for Tuesday, forecasting moderate fog at most locations across the city during early morning hours with dense fog expected in isolated pockets. This alert suggests that the flights delayed dense fog situation could potentially repeat, requiring continued vigilance from aviation authorities and passengers.
Temperature forecasts indicate the minimum may touch 7-9°C by Friday before rising by 1-2°C over the weekend with another western disturbance expected. The maximum temperature is forecast to hover between 18-21°C through Sunday, suggesting continued below-normal conditions that could contribute to fog formation.
Air Quality Deterioration
Compounding the flights delayed dense fog problem, Delhi’s air quality, which had briefly improved to the “moderate” category, deteriorated back to the “poor” range by evening. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index stood at 210 at 4 pm, though this represented an improvement from the reading over 265 recorded at 4 pm Sunday.
Air quality forecasts indicate the AQI is expected to remain in the “poor” category on February 3 and 4 before potentially improving to “moderate” again by February 5 as wind speeds increase. The combination of poor air quality and fog creates challenging conditions both for aviation operations and public health.
Implications for Travel Planning
The flights delayed dense fog incident serves as a reminder for travelers during winter months to build buffer time into their travel plans and stay informed about weather forecasts. The convergence of dense fog, temperature inversions, and poor air quality creates a perfect storm for aviation disruptions that can cascade through airline networks, affecting connections and schedules far beyond Delhi’s immediate airspace.
