New Delhi:

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was shrouded in a thick layer of fog on Tuesday morning as the mercury continued to fall in northern India.

In a pre-sunrise video taken by a passenger as he boarded the plane, the plane on the tarmac can be seen engulfed in thick fog, with visibility limited to a few meters.

Delhi Airport also issued a fog alert at 4.30am to remind passengers of the ongoing low visibility procedures. “Delhi Airport is undergoing low visibility procedures. Currently all flights are operating as normal. Passengers are asked to contact the airlines concerned for the latest flight information,” the tweet read.

The Meteorological Department reported visibility of 50 meters in Delhi’s Safdurjung area at 5.30 am. Satellite images showed thick to very thick fog in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, North Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, it said.

Reported minimum visibility in meters today at 0530 IST:
Bathinda: 00
Amritsar, Ganganagar, Patiala, Delhi (Palam) and Lucknow: 25
Delhi (SFD) and Purnea: 50
Ambala and Agra: 200
Gorakhpur: 300
Bareilly, Patna, Gaya and Kolkata: 500.@DDNewslive@ndmaindiapic.twitter.com/GGnKIP0AbA

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 20, 2022

Thick smog has also reduced visibility for commuters as air quality in the capital continues to decline. Images shared by residents of the capital early Tuesday morning showed roads covered in fog.

Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather also briefed the public on the low visibility and urged travelers to check whether their flights had been canceled due to the fog before departing.

#param#AIRPORT#visibility 04:30 Descend to 50 meters #FOG. 7:30 is 100 meters. Runway 28 is 200 meters and Runway 29 is 150 meters. # aircraft delay with #FlightCancle It is possible. Confirm before leaving.#derry airport#Delhifog@SkymetWeather@JATINSKYMET

— Mahesh Palawat (@Mpalawat) December 20, 2022

Heavy fog is suspected to have caused multiple car collisions and accidents on the Eastern Peripheral Highway (EPH) in Greater Noida yesterday, resulting in multiple injuries.

In the past few days, the air quality in the capital has been classified as “extremely poor” level. The air quality index around IGI Airport was 378 today, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research (SAFAR). An AQI of 0 to 100 is considered good, 100 to 200 is moderate, 200 to 300 is poor, 300 to 400 is very poor, and 400 to 500 or above is considered severe.

Meanwhile, in the north of the capital, near Delhi University, air quality was recorded at 445 in the “serious” category, according to SAFAR. Delhi’s air quality last week was moderate, with the index dipping over the weekend.

(Aside from the title, this story is unedited by NDTV staff and published via a syndicated feed.)