Delhi: Dense Fog To Continue, Mercury Drop Likely, No Rain This Week
Key Takeaways:
- Dense fog reduced visibility to near zero across Delhi/NCR, severely disrupting air traffic.
- Palam Airport operated under CAT-III conditions, allowing limited landings despite poor visibility.
- Western Disturbances will affect the mountains, but Delhi remains dry this week.
- Fog, colder nights, and enhanced chill are expected to persist through mid-week.
Delhi/NCR was blanketed with dense fog this morning, reducing visibility to nearly zero in some pockets for about two hours. The envelope of fog descended late in the night, almost simultaneously over all parts. Palam Airport was the worst hit, with visibility dropping to about 100 metres. The airport quickly switched to CAT-III status, which facilitated landing in visibility up to 50 metres for qualified aircrew. A minimum RVR of 100 metres is required for take-off under CAT-III compliance. There was obvious congestion of flight services, leading to delays in both arrivals and departures.
A Western Disturbance is currently moving across the mountains. Under its influence, mid and higher reaches will experience scattered rain and snow. Another Western Disturbance is likely to approach the Western Himalayas on February 7, 2026. Delhi remains far from the reach of these systems and is unlikely to receive rainfall during this week. However, there are chances of a fresh spell of winter showers early next week. This forecast will be updated around the middle of the week.
The wind pattern will change over Delhi/NCR due to these weather systems. Dense fog is expected to continue tomorrow, impacting all modes of transportation. A dip in mercury levels is likely over the next two days. Minimum temperatures are expected to slip into single digits again on Tuesday and Wednesday. The approach of the next system will raise temperatures after mid-week.
The current weather system is likely to clear the mountains by late night tomorrow. In its wake, surface and low-level winds will strengthen. Windy conditions will enhance the chill factor between February 4 and February 7, 2026. Under foggy conditions, daytime temperatures are likely to remain suppressed. Sunshine will be mild and, at the earliest, may appear during late noon hours.
