Delhi shivers under thick fog; heavy rain expected on January 6; IMD issues alert; flight delays and other key updates

As the mercury in many parts of the capital has dropped significantly, Indigo Airlines issued a travel advisory on Thursday (January 2).

Indigo Advisory

In a social media post on X, Indigo Airlines wrote, "Delhi is currently experiencing significantly reduced visibility due to fog, impacting flight schedules. Customers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport http://bit.ly/3ZWAQXd and allow extra time for travel, as low visibility may lead to slow traffic on the roads. Hoping for a bright, clear, sunny day ahead."

#6ETravelAdvisory: #Delhi is currently experiencing significantly reduced visibility due to fog, impacting flight schedules. Customers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport https://t.co/IEBbuCsa3e and allow extra time for travel, (1/2)

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 2, 2025

At 5:30 AM, the temperature dropped to 10 degrees Celsius, and aircraft operations at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport risked probable difficulties owing to limited visibility.

According to Delhi Airport officials, runway visibility fluctuated between 200 and 500 meters, while overall visibility fell to nil around 6 AM. Flights geared for low-visibility operations were allowed to land, while others were expected to have delays or diversions.

IMD forecast for Delhi weather

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature at Delhi's Palam has dipped further to 6.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday from 7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

The weather office has forecast cold day conditions at isolated places in Delhi and dense fog at some locations on Thursday.

The Met office said on Thursday that the wind speed is likely to increase to 12 to 14 kilometres per hour during the afternoon and gradually decline to less than 8 kilometres per hour by the evening.

Smog and shallow fog are expected during the evening and the night.

Heavy rain forecast for Delhi

Meanwhile a western disturbance originating from Pakistan and Afghanistan is expected to bring heavy rain to Delhi-NCR on January 6. A similar system caused downpours in late December, leading to the current cold wave.

With inputs from agencies