Dense fog over Delhi's Rajpath on Friday
Thick fog in Delhi this morning disrupted several flights and trains and also slowed down traffic to a crawl amid warnings from policemen. Departures from the Delhi Airport were put on hold from 5:30 am to 7 am today and most of the arrivals were also hit due to poor visibility and bad weather. Train services have been affected, with at least 10 trains to Delhi delayed by fog.
The Delhi Traffic Police alerted commuters to poor visibility. Tweeting a list of 'Dos and Don'ts', the police said, "Visibility is low due to intense fog in the border areas and around India Gate in Delhi. Drive with caution. Maintain moderate speed. Drive with headlamps switched on."
The India Meteorological Department has said that there will be very dense fog at several places in western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand for the next two days. In the east, there is a similar forecast for Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.
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Visibility was very poor in the capital. Pictures from Delhi's RK Puram and Rajpath show vehicles moving very slowly.
Thick fog descended on Prayagraj, earlier known as Allahabad, where the 50-day Kumbh Mela is going on. Devotees were seen braving the chill to take a 'holy dip' at the Sangam. The central government has set up specialized real time weather stations and a weather App, for Kumbh, was also launched for the benefit of the pilgrims.
The weather office has forecast cold wave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
A significant wet spell in northern India, between January 20-24, has also been predicted. There could also be hailstorms as well as strong winds at several places in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh could get fresh snowfall from January 18 evening onward, said the weather office.