Life came to a near standstill across parts of Delhi-NCR on Monday as dense fog enveloped the region, reducing visibility to almost zero and severely disrupting daily life. Flight operations were hit, with delays and cancellations reported, while schools in Noida were shut as a precautionary measure.
The situation was compounded by worsening air quality, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 403 at 7 am, placing the capital in the ‘severe’ category amid intense cold conditions.
Delhi's extremely dense fog prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue an orange signal, cautioning locals to exercise caution. The IMD predicts that the minimum temperature might be as low as 7°C and the maximum temperature will likely be around 22°C. Parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have received similar orange alerts due to the region's ongoing poor visibility and cold.