No respite in dense fog in India's northwest as cold wave intensifies

NEW DELHI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- There has been no respite in the dense fog that engulfed several states in India's northwest, officials said Thursday.

The thick fog has affected road and rail traffic. According to railway officials, at least two dozen trains approaching the national capital territory Delhi have been delayed.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), very dense fog (visibility below 50 meters) during morning hours was witnessed in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya. Apart from this, dense fog (visibility 50-200 meters) was witnessed in isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh, northwest Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha.

The IMD said dense to very dense fog will likely continue to prevail during morning hours in isolated pockets of northwest India during the next five days.

Meanwhile, the cold wave conditions on Thursday intensified in several states in north India, including the capital territory of Delhi.