Jammu and Kashmir: Dense fog envelops Srinagar

A man walks at a park amid dense fog in Srinagar on November 20, 2023. Pic/Tauseef Mustafa/AFP

Dense fog enveloped Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir, for the third consecutive day on Monday, causing disruptions in daily life and transportation. The meteorological department has predicted rain and snow at scattered places between November 27 and 30, news wire ANI reported.

The persistent fog has created challenges for school buses and vehicles, particularly in the harsh winter conditions. Hitesh, a tourist from Ahmedabad, said the dense fog in the early morning hours, with visibility limited to 50 feet. Floodlights have been deployed to manage traffic, and concerns have been raised about the increasing cold as winter sets in.

The maximum temperature in Srinagar reached 16 degrees Celsius on Monday, accompanied by partly cloudy skies. The Meteorological Department in Srinagar had initially forecast generally dry weather until November 26, with occasional cloudy skies from November 18 to 25. However, the latest forecast suggests the possibility of rain and snow at scattered places from November 27 to 30.

Tourists in the region expressed the challenges posed by the early morning fog, making walking difficult and reducing visibility. "One can't walk in such a situation. There is cold as well. Visibility also drops," A tourist told ANI.

Fog is a weather condition in which very small drops of water come together to form a thick cloud close to the land or sea, making it difficult to see. Thick fog makes driving difficult, reducing visibility to few metres.

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Meanwhile, the air quality index in Delhi and its suburbs deteriorated again overnight after a marginal improvement a day ago with forecasts suggesting that a major relief is unlikely in the coming days.

The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 338 at 8 am on Monday, deteriorating from 301 at 4 pm and 290 at 7 am on Sunday, news wire PTI reported. The 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, was 319 on Saturday, 405 on Friday and 419 on Thursday.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad (306), Gurugram (239), Greater Noida (288), Noida (308) and Faridabad (320) also recorded a dip in air quality.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'. (With inputs from agencies)