Cold and drizzle in Delhi; fog affects flights, trains

NEW DELHI - It was a gloomy, cold and and dank Thursday morning as Delhi saw light drizzle. But the minimum temperature was above the average due to the cloud cover. Flight and train services were affected because of fog and low visibility.

The minimum temperature at 11.8 degrees Celsius was five degrees above the average for the end of the year in Delhi.

“The rise in the minimum temperature is because of the cloud cover. Clouds trap the earth’s heat,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official told IANS.

“More rains are expected today (Thursday),” the official added.

A fog cover that became thick later in the morning affected train and flight services.

According to an airport official, Low Visibility Procedure (LVP) had to be implemented at 10.52 a.m. at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

“There have been no diversions and cancellations of flights till now. However, some flights have been delayed,” the official said.

As many as 28 trains were affected because of the fog and the agitation of the Gujjar community for five percent job quota in Rajasthan.

According to a railway official, 21 trains were delayed Thursday. Among these, the Indore-Nizamuddin Intercity was delayed by 32 hours, the Golden Temple Express from Mumbai to Nizamuddin by 19 hours and the Rajdhani from Mumbai to Delhi by more than seven hours.

Six trains, including the Shatabdi between Kanpur and New Delhi and the Ujjain Express from Ujjain to Dehradun, were cancelled and one has been rescheduled.

The total rainfall recorded until early morning was 0.9 mm. The city also saw some drizzle Wednesday. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 17 degrees.