New Delhi: At least four flights to/from Delhi airport were on Saturday delayed while one was cancelled due to dense fog blanketing the Delhi-NCR region, leading to zero visibility over many places. Due to the prevailing weather conditions, only CAT IIIA and CAT III B compliant aircraft and pilots can operate, the Delhi airport said. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines for updated flight information.

Notably, zero visibility was reported over Delhi, Lucknow, and Amritsar due to variable and calm lower-level winds. A temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Delhi’s Palam at 5:30 am today, which is likely to fall by 0.2 degree Celsius during the next 24 hours. Safdarjung recorded 8.6 degrees Celsius temperature, which is likely to rise by 1.2 degrees Celsius during the next 24 hours, the Met department said.

Meanwhile, the capital city’s air quality remained “severe” on Saturday as well. “Delhi’s overall air quality index (AQI) stands at 492 (severe category)”, said System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.

Similar fog conditions are likely on the morning of January 17 as well. However, as per the weather department, visibility is likely to improve January 18 onwards. “Minimum temperatures over the plains of North India is very likely to rise by 3-4℃ by the morning of January 18,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today.