As the mercury in many parts of the capital fell sharply, 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 heavy fog, which is affecting flight schedules. Customers are advised to check the status of their flight before going to the airport and allow extra time for the journey, as there is low visibility. it may lead to less travel on the roads Hoping for a bright, sunny day ahead.
#6ETravelAdvisory: #Deli it is currently seeing significant reductions due to fog, which is affecting flight schedules. Customers are advised to check the status of their flight before going to the airport and allow extra travel time, (1/2)
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 2, 2025
At 5:30 AM, the temperature dropped to 10 degrees Celsius, and flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport risked potential difficulties due to poor visibility.
According to Delhi airport officials, the visibility of the runway fluctuated between 200 and 500 meters, and visibility decreased around 6 AM. Planes designed for invisible missions were allowed to land, while others were expected to be delayed or diverted.
IMD forecast for Delhi weather
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Delhi’s Palam dropped to 6.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday from 7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The weather office has predicted cold day conditions at isolated places in Delhi and dense fog at other places on Thursday.
The Met Office said on Thursday the wind speed is likely to increase to 12 to 14 kilometers per hour in the afternoon and gradually decrease to less than 8 kilometers per hour in the evening.
Smoke and shallow fog are expected this evening and overnight.
Heavy rain forecast in Delhi
Meanwhile a western disturbance from Pakistan and Afghanistan is expected to bring heavy rain to Delhi-NCR on January 6. The same system caused rains in late December, leading to the current cold temperatures.
With input from agencies