IMD Issues Dense Fog Advisory for North India, Urges Caution While Driving

On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a dense fog advisory for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, northern Rajasthan, and northern Madhya Pradesh.

In a post on X, IMD wrote, Dense Fog Advisory for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan and north Madhya Pradesh: Be careful while driving or outing through any transport. Use fog lights during driving. Be in touch with airlines, railways and state transport for schedule of your journey.

· Use fog lights during driving.
· Be in touch with airlines, railways and state transport for schedule of your journey.

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 28, 2023

Extensive fog blanketed various regions of North India on Thursday morning, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The reduced visibility caused by the dense fog led to disruptions in traffic.

Over 100 flights were affected on Thursday as Delhi-NCR continued to be engulfed by fog which also impacted the rail and road traffic. The mercury plummeted to 8.4 degrees Celsius, just one notch above the seasonal average.

Fog Observed (at 0830 hours IST of today: Dense to very dense fog reported in some pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and in isolated pockets over Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, West Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 28, 2023

The IMD has issued an orange alert, urging residents to remain prepared for the harsh weather conditions. The advisory stressed the need for precautionary measures due to significantly reduced visibility in various parts of the city. The impact of the cold wave was most evident during the morning commute, with delays reported in both air and rail travel. Several flights were delayed or cancelled as a result of poor visibility, affecting passengers' travel plans. Train schedules were disrupted, causing inconvenience to commuters relying on rail transport.