A thick layer of fog blanketed Delhi on Friday morning as air quality deteriorated from “moderate” to “very poor” under cold snap conditions. The capital’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 312, according to the morning bulletin from the System for Air Quality and Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Air quality in the capital remained in the “satisfactory” category for three consecutive days from Jan. 9 to Jan. 11, but slipped into the “moderate” category on Jan. 12.

Several flights are expected to be delayed due to foggy weather in the capital. Delhi International Airport issued an alert asking passengers to contact relevant airlines for updated flight information.

Visibility was reduced to around 50-100 metres between 4.30am and 9.30am on Thursday as up to 100 flights were delayed due to foggy conditions on the runway at Delhi Airport. However, no flights were cancelled or diverted, officials said.

Minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be around 6C and 17C on Friday. Meanwhile, Noida and Gurugram have air quality in the “poor” category. As of this morning, Noida has an AQI of 262, while Gulgram has an AQI of 256.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a cold wave in Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Northwestern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and northern Rajasthan over the next two days.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times