Thunderstorms and gusty winds hit operations at airport, 500 flights delayed
News Delhi: An intense thunderstorm, accompanied by a squall of 74 kmph, impacted
flight operations
at
on Friday. Three Delhi-bound flights were diverted to other cities. Over 500 flights were delayed, and the average delay was 42 minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a live flight tracking website.
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Of the three diversions, two were diverted to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad. Though the impact of the thunderstorm was over within an hour, the inclement weather caused a cascading effect, with many flights being delayed throughout the day.
RK Jenamani, senior scientist, India Meteorological Department, explained how a thunderstorm impacts the aviation sector across the world. "When a thunderstorm hits an airport, wind direction changes frequently.
A flight cannot take off or land if the wind direction is not uniform.
Thunderstorms
also cause turbulence," said Jenamani.
He added that a thunderstorm is usually accompanied by other weather systems, including lightning and gusty winds, which also affect the aviation sector.
Met officials said May and June were known for thunderstorms causing flight diversions. "Unlike dense fog, a thunderstorm impacts an aircraft at every stage, including flying, take-off, and landing.
When there is a thunderstorm, a pilot diverts the flight in another direction and does not go in the direction of the thunderstorm," an official explained earlier.
Many passengers took to social media to complain about the inconvenience caused to them due to
and diversions. A passenger, Rocky, wrote on X that his flight from the Delhi airport was on Friday morning. "After a delay of 2.5 hours, left Delhi….the aircraft kept shaking when I boarded because of the wind.
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Finally reached my destination."
Another passenger, Siddhart, complained about a "complete mess" at the airport. "They (airline) have displayed that boarding started for many flights, and when you come to the gate, we are told that the flight is delayed," he wrote.
Air India said thunderstorms and gusty winds affected flight operations in parts of Northern India. "Some of our flights to and from Delhi are being delayed, which is likely to impact our overall flight schedule.
We are doing our best to minimise disruptions," it said in a statement.
Similarly, IndiGo said this morning's weather in Delhi, with heavy rain and thunderstorm, resulted in air traffic congestion. "Flights are impacted and are experiencing delays. We understand how inconvenient extended wait times both on the ground and onboard can be, and we sincerely appreciate your patience," it added.
Delhi Airport on X said no structural damage was reported at Terminal 3.
"Due to inclement weather conditions and thunderstorms in Delhi, some flights have been impacted."
The airport has been witnessing flight delays following the closure of the fourth runway on April 8 and a change in wind direction.
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