Dust storm, heavy rains sweep Delhi-NCR, disrupts flight operations
NEW DELHI: A powerful thunderstorm swept across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday evening, bringing rain, intense dust storms, and winds reaching up to 96 kmph. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert around 5 pm, upgrading its earlier yellow alert as the storm intensified.
A fierce thundersquall was recorded in Palam with wind gusts peaking at 96 kmph—the highest during the event—according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The squall disrupted flight operations, uprooted trees, and brought a sharp but brief drop in temperatures.
Safdarjung reported squalls with wind speeds of up to 80 kmph, while Pragati Maidan saw gusts of 76 kmph. Southern and southwestern parts of Delhi were hit first as the weather system advanced from neighbouring Haryana. Hisar, Bhiwani and Rohtak recorded gusts of 60, 40 and 20 kmph respectively between 3:30 pm and 3:45 pm.
The IMD attributed the storm to multiple interacting weather systems—a western disturbance over north Pakistan, a cyclonic circulation over Haryana, and moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea—coupled with favourable thermodynamic conditions.
Flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were disrupted due to the storm, with average departure delays of around 40 minutes. Four incoming flights had to be diverted—two to Jaipur, while one each to Amritsar and Chandigarh airports.
Sunday's rainfall was measured at 15.4 mm, categorised as moderate. The sudden storm brought respite from the sweltering heat earlier in the day. Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 27.2 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Delhi-NCR, warning of more rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds of up to 60 kmph on Monday and Tuesday. Light rain is also expected on Wednesday.
May 2025 has already become Delhi's wettest May on record, with 188.9 mm of rainfall. It also saw the cleanest air in over a decade, excluding the pandemic-induced lockdown years.
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