Thick Fog In Delhi, North India, Flight Operations Affected

New Delhi: Flight operations were affected at the Delhi airport this morning as dense fog reduced visibility below 50 meters, news agency ANI reported. At least four domestic flights were diverted till around 9 am, an official told NDTV.

A thick blanket of fog engulfed Delhi, the national capital region and much of north India for the second morning in a row. Delhi reported a minimum temperature of 12 degree Celsius.

Yesterday, more than 60 flights were affected at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Press Trust of India reported.

More than 40 flights were delayed, around 15 were diverted and one was cancelled as low visibility procedures were implemented at the airport, officials said. The situation normalised later, they added.

The air quality of the national capital also plunged on Wednesday, turning 'severe' following a fairly long period when strong wind movement had helped keep the pollutants at bay.

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The air quality index of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had Delhi's air in the 'severe' category with a reading of 410, which may affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing respiratory ailments.

Private agency Skymet has forecast that pollution levels are likely to increase "manifold" due to change in wind direction, increase in moisture levels and massive drop in wind speed.

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The 24-hour-average (rolling) of ultrafine pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 182 and 343 micrograms per cubic metre respectively, as against the corresponding safe limits of 60 and 100 respectively.