Cold and foggy weather lingers over northern India

The dull and dismal weather continues across parts of northern India. Much of the region is shrouded in dense fog which has led to widespread travel disruption yet again.

The poor visibility has brought road traffic to a virtual standstill. Meanwhile, the railway stations and airports have also been severely tested, with passengers facing lengthy delays.

As is often the case at this time of the year, cold air has drained down from the Himalayan Plateau. In the process, visibility has been well below 500 metres across a good part of Punjab state and Uttar Pradesh.

Because of its origin, the thick fog has been accompanied by a harsh cold spell of weather, forcing travellers to pile on the layers to keep warm as they have been forced to wait for hours.

Local resident, Munshi Lal said “There is fog and the cold is also intense. It is causing difficulty in going anywhere. There are so many problems we are facing. Even the visibility is very low.”

The bitter conditions force some people to huddle around bonfires to keep warm, which, of course, then adds to the fog or smog problems.

The fog also disrupted the timetable at New Delhi Railway Station. At least 34 trains were delayed and six were rescheduled

During the delays, many passengers spent the night sleeping on the ice-cold platforms. Meanwhile, seven international and six domestic flights were delayed at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport when visibility dropped below 50 metres.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the dense fog will linger across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi for much of this week.

It is only expected to clear during the weekend when cloud, rain and an increasing wind finally push across the northern plains.