Visibility in India’s capital Delhi and several areas was reported to be zero in the early hours of Friday, disrupting flights, trains and road transport.
This is as a result of dense fog which had caused more than 150 flights to be delayed and dozens of trains to run behind schedule.
The bad weather conditions is a recurring problem in northern India every winter, where low temperatures between December and January trap pollutants close to the ground.
According to the state-run Safar website, the air quality index in Delhi was above 400 in several areas – which affects visibility – making travel difficult and the air hazardous.
This is more than 25 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Authorities in the capital have brought back pollution control measures, which include a ban on construction and demolition activities, and school classes going online.
Video and photos from Delhi and nearby cities showed a blanket of fog covering roads and farms and obscuring buildings.
The Delhi airport has issued an advisory warning passengers of possible disruptions due to low visibility.
“While landings and take offs continue at Delhi airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected,” the advisory read. CAT III is a system which allows planes to land during conditions of poor visibility.
According to flight tracking website flightradar24, departures at Delhi airport were delayed by more than 30 minutes and arrivals by almost 20 minutes.
Meanwhile 26 trains to the city are running late due to fog, the Indian Railways said.
India’s weather department has predicted light showers over the weekend, which are expected to improve visibility conditions.

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