Over 200 flights delayed in Delhi as season’s worst fog grips northern parts

Leh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Guwahati airports affected due to poor visibility

People ride a boat across the Yamuna river on a foggy winter morning in New Delhi, India, January 3, 2025.

Friday (January 3, 2025) saw the worst spell of fog this winter in the national capital resulting in as many as 240 flights delayed and six flights cancelled at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. 

Other airports in the northern parts impacted due to poor visibility were Leh, Srinagar Amritsar, Chandigarh as well as Guwahati.

“There was intense fog at the airport between 6am to 10.30am. Between 7am to 9.30am there was the biggest dip in visibility conditions with general visibility dropping to 50 metres, and the runway visual range remaining between 100 metres to 300 metres,” R K Jenamani, Scientist, IMD told The Hindu. Runway Visual Range (RVR) is the range over which the pilot of an aircraft can see the runway surface markings or the lights that help identify the centre line on the runway.

He said this was the season’s worst fog so far in terms of both its visibility and duration.

Till 5 p.m., there were 240 flights delayed at IGI as per flight tracking website flightradar24. These include both arrivals and departures that faced delays of over 45 minutes.

"No Cause For Alarm": Indian Health Agency On HMPV Virus Spreading In China

Human Metapneumovirus: Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) official Dr Atul Goel suggested taking general precautions against all respiratory infections

Concerns Rise As Covid-Like HMPV Virus Spreads Across Asia

HMPV, which primarily affects children, has spread across northern China, prompting strict monitoring across Asia.

Neighbouring regions are actively monitoring the virus spread.

As respiratory illnesses alarmingly increase in China, there are complaints of congested hospitals and overburdened healthcare systems. Health experts are especially worried about the spread of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus in other parts of the region afflicting a number of Asian countries.

According to China's health authorities, the virus is spreading across the northern regions of the country. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that northern China is the worst affected. HMPV, which can infect people of all ages, is most common in children, raising further public health concerns.

No Vaccine Yet for Virus Discovered 20 Years Ago

The outbreak has heightened awareness about the need for preventive measures, especially since no vaccine exists for HMPV despite the virus being known for nearly two decades.

Health experts are urging vigilance and adherence to public health guidelines to limit the virus's spread. The common people have been advised by the authorities to wash their hands and wear masks and other precautions.

Authorities in all of Asia are keeping a close watch on the flu outbreak and the respiratory virus spread in China. Regions surrounding China are implementing strict monitoring measures. Hong Kong, for example, has reported very few cases.

Meanwhile, Japan's health authorities are actively working to address the issue. Following a significant influenza outbreak, Japan reported thousands of cases nationwide, as reported by local media on Saturday. According to Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 94,259 flu patients were reported in one week leading up to December 15th across 5,000 hospitals and clinics throughout the country. The total number of cases in Japan for the current season has now reached 718,000.

What is the HMPV virus?

According to Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), belonging to the Pneumoviridae, Metapneumovirus genus, is an enveloped single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus.

In 2001, it was first detected by Dutch scholars in nasopharyngeal aspirate samples of children with respiratory infections caused by unknown pathogens. Serological studies have shown that it has existed for at least 60 years, being distributed all over the world as a common respiratory pathogen.

New York mass shooting: At least 11 shot as gunman fires inside Amazura Night Club in Queens, say reports

At least 11 people have been shot in Queens, New York, at Amazura Night Club on Wednesday, as per media reports. However, the New York Police Department has yet to release details about the incident, and the conditions of the injured are yet to be known.

At least 10 dead in Montenegro after gunman goes on rampage A gunman went on a rampage, killing at least 10 people in a small town in Montenegro on Wednesday, police said, one of the tiny Balkan nation's worst mass killings.

A 45-year-old man, identified by police as Aleksandar Martinovic, was on the run after opening fire at a restaurant in the town of Cetinje, where he killed four people.

The shooter moved on to three other locations, gunning down a family member, two children and three other people, police said. Four more people suffered life-threatening injuries.

The suspect, who media reports said had a history of illegal weapons possession, was at large around Cetinje, a small valley town surrounded by rugged hills some 38 km (23.6 miles) west of the Montenegrin capital Podgorica.