Delhi and its neighbouring areas were shrouded in a thick blanket of fog on Monday, resulting in disruptions in rail traffic. Airlines issued an advisory urging passengers to stay in touch to get updated flight information.
Also, 500 flights were delayed and 21 were diverted from Delhi airport this morning due to heavy fog, reported ANI.
"Around 530 flights, which includes 320 departures and 210 arrivals, were delayed till 12:52pm, local time," an airport official told news agency Press Trust of India.
The temperature in the national capital on Monday morning fell to 2.6°C from 2.8°C on Sunday, lower than Shimla's 3°C.
Poor visibility caused problems for commuters, with many people driving slow on the main roads. "There was heavy fog on the road that connects Delhi and Noida. We had to drive carefully," said Saba Arora, a private firm executive.
At the Delhi airport, CAT III B compliant aircraft are currently able to land using instrument landing system or ILS, officials said. The airlines have asked people to stay in touch for updated flight information, reports NDTV.
According to the weather office, severe cold weather is likely to remain over northern India for two more days.
A severe cold wave in the national capital has also prompted a "red" warning from the weather office after the temperature on Saturday morning was recorded at 2.8°C at the Lodhi Road observatory.
The Safdarjung observatory recorded a low of 2.4°C on Saturday - the lowest in decades. A "red" warning from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) means "extreme weather conditions."
According to the weather office, severe cold weather is likely to remain over northern India for two more days.
The average maximum temperature this month is likely to be 19.15°C. If it happens, then it will be the coldest December since 1997 when it was 17.3°C, and the second-coldest December since 1901.
