NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for fog in the national capital on Tuesday morning till 11.20am.Dense fog sharply reduced visibility in the morning hours. Palam reported visibility of 100 metres at 8.30 am under dense fog with west-southwesterly winds at 5 kmph, while Safdarjung recorded 150 metres with calm winds, according to IMD. Amid the fog, Delhi airport issued a passenger advisory at 10 am, saying flight operations were being conducted under CAT II conditions due to dense fog, which could lead to delays and cancellations. Passengers were advised to check with airlines for the latest updates. Air quality remained in the severe zone, with AQI levels crossing 400 at 27 monitoring stations and several others slipping into the ‘severe plus’ category, exposing residents to extremely hazardous pollution. At 9 am, Delhi’s overall AQI stood at 415, worsening from the ‘very poor’ category a day earlier, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Out of 40 monitoring stations, 27 recorded AQI readings above 400, while five stations were in the ‘severe plus’ category with AQI above 450. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 470, followed by Nehru Nagar (463), Okhla (459), Mundka (459) and Siri Fort (450), as per the CPCB’s SAMEER app. Delhi’s minimum temperature was recorded at 8.8 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius, with dense fog likely to persist during the day.(With agency inputs)
