Delhi Cold Wave: IGI airport faces massive disruptions due to dense fog, 20 flights delayed

Northern India is facing a severe cold wave with low visibility because of dense fog covering the Northern regions of the country, severely disrupting flight services in Delhi.

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Delhi Airport is facing consistent flight delays because of bad weather. On Sunday, around 20 planes from the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were delayed till 1 pm as a result of bad weather and other operational problems. Around 13 inbound flights from various destinations were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport due to the cold wave conditions and dense fog that are now affecting North India, including the nation's capital.

"There was no flight diversion reported till 6 AM," said an official at the airport. "Visibility is very low at the airport amid the severe cold that we all have been experiencing," said passengers at Delhi`s IGI.On Saturday, the IGIA issued an advisory and launched procedures in view o low visibility conditions caused due to fog.

Airport authorities, in the advisory to the passengers, said that several procedures had been undertaken to counter the menace of low visibility at the airport. The Airport also requested the passengers to contact the concerned airline for the latest information about their flight status, authorities said. 

Delhi Orange Alert

The meteorological department issued an Orange alert for the parts of Northern India including Delhi. The department also warned of dense fog, severe cold and cold wave conditions in the region.

On Saturday, January 7, 2023, the national capital registered a bone-chilling minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius, which was lower than that of most locations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's main weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius, while the Ridge weather station in central Delhi registered a chilling 1.5 degrees Celsius due to a strong cold wave.

(With ANI inputs)