A cold wave swept through Delhi on Tuesday morning, bringing freezing temperatures and icy winds, which led to dense fog enveloping the city. The weather department forecasted a maximum temperature of 19°C for the day.

The heavy fog disrupted train services, delaying around 25 trains, including Poorva Express, Vikramshila Express, RJPB Tejas Express, Patalkot Express, and Mewar Express, according to News18. Passengers faced long waits at stations, uncertain about the timing of their trains.

The fog also caused significant challenges on the roads, making it difficult for drivers to navigate through the reduced visibility. Reports from ANI highlighted the traffic chaos caused by the dense fog.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the visibility in areas like Palam was reduced to just 150 meters between 5 and 5:30 am due to dense fog and northwesterly winds at 11-13 km/h. By 8:30 am, the visibility had improved to 700 meters as the fog lightened, with westerly winds blowing at 13 km/h.

The weather department also indicated that most parts of the city would experience smog and mild fog, with some areas seeing dense fog in the morning hours. Social media images showed clearer skies as the day progressed.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category, with the AQI hitting 310 at 6 am on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. This marks the third consecutive day that the air quality has been classified as “very poor.”

The AQI scale is divided into categories: 0-50 (“good”), 51-100 (“satisfactory”), 101-200 (“moderate”), 201-300 (“poor”), 301-400 (“very poor”), and 401-500 (“severe”).

Delhi’s minimum temperature saw a slight increase, reaching 10.5°C, which is 3.6°C above the normal value, compared to 9.6°C the previous day, according to PTI. The weather office has forecasted continued fog throughout the day, with a high of around 19°C.