New Delhi: Residents of Delhi woke up to alarming air quality levels on Sunday morning as a thick blanket of toxic smog and dense fog engulfed the national capital, pushing pollution levels into the ‘severe’ category. The poor visibility led to delays in several flight and train services.

The thick fog led multiple airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, to issue travel advisories, urging passengers to expect possible delays and to monitor their flight status before heading to the airport.

At 10 am, the Delhi airport posted on X (formerly Twitter) that flight operations at Delhi Airport were running normally.

The situation worsened further with a sharp drop in temperatures, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a cold wave alert across several parts of the city.

According to IMD data, Delhi’s primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while Ayanagar registered a low of 4.9 degrees Celsius. Several other locations also experienced temperatures below the 5-degree Celsius mark, indicating intensified winter conditions.

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In its latest weather bulletin, the IMD forecasted a partly cloudy sky for Delhi, with moderate fog expected at many places and dense fog at isolated locations during the morning hours. The department stated that the maximum temperature is likely to remain between 21 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may hover between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality continued to deteriorate sharply. The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 437 at 6:30 a.m., categorising it as ‘severe’, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Several monitoring stations reported AQI levels exceeding 450, placing them in the ‘severe+’ category. Areas such as Wazirpur, Sonia Vihar, Rohini, RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Patparganj, North Campus, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Dwarka Sector 8, Chandni Chowk, Burari Crossing, Bawana, Ashok Vihar, and Anand Vihar recorded extremely hazardous air quality levels.

The weather office also issued a nowcast warning for fog at multiple locations due to significantly reduced visibility. In response, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport released a passenger advisory, stating that Low Visibility Procedures were in effect. While flight operations were reported to be normal, passengers were advised to check with their respective airlines for real-time updates.

The combined impact of severe air pollution, dense fog, and cold wave conditions has raised health concerns, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as winter conditions intensify across the region.

(with inputs from IANS)