Delhi: Hailstorm, Rainfall Disrupts City; Airlines Issue Advisory
Airlines issued advisories, saying the change in weather might impact flight operations.
Delhi faced hailstorm storm followed by rain this evening, disrupting traffic and leading to waterlogging and power cuts in several areas. A hailstorm in Delhi's Lodi Road, and 79 kmph wind was reported over Safdarjung, as per NDTV report.
Strong winds and dust storms hit several parts of the capital, with the city's primary weather station in Safdarjung recording wind speeds of 79 kmph, while Palam reported 74 kmph, Pragati Maidan 78 kmph, and Pitampura 65 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Additionally, Noida faced storm followed by rain this evening, disrupting traffic and leading to waterlogging and power cuts in several areas.
In its nowcast update, the IMD said that the convection has moved southwards, away from most parts of North, Northwest, West, Southwest, and Northeast Delhi, and is currently over South and East Delhi as well as Noida. It is likely to move away from Delhi within the next hour.
In the three hours between 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm, Safdarjung recorded 12.2 mm of rainfall. Other stations also reported showers, Mayur Vihar recorded 13 mm, and Pitampura reported 5 mm of rainfall.
Airlines issued advisories, saying the change in weather might impact flight operations.
The Delhi airport, in a post on X, said flight operations might be impacted due to the adverse weather, advising passengers to contact the concerned airlines for an updated flight schedule.
In separate advisories, Air India and IndiGo advised passengers to check their flight status before reaching the airport.
As the pre-monsoon showers came as a relief to people in the searing heat, many trees and hoardings in the national capital and Noida toppled due to the storm.
The Delhi Traffic Police, through its official social media platforms, issued a traffic alert stating that traffic is affected on Mathura Road in the carriageway from Neela Gumbad towards Ashram due to the uprooting of a tree opposite P S Nizamuddin.
According to a report from the Integrated Command and Control Centre at Palika Kendra, 13 tree fall complaints were received from the NDMC area alone.
Tree branches fell in several areas, including Vikas Marg, Akshardham Road, Sikandra Road, Firoz Shah Road, and on the loop towards Akshardham Road. A billboard fell on Vikas Marg near the Laxmi Nagar red light intersection.
Waterlogging was witnessed in several areas, including near the Akshardham Flyover, Sikandra Road, and under Tilak Bridge near ITO.
Meanwhile, internet users took to social media to share the visuals of storm and the rain in parts of the city. Here's a look at how they reacted:
The IMD also reported a sharp drop in temperature, noting a 14-degree Celsius fall from 37 degrees Celsius in Palam due to the sudden weather change.
According to the weather department, winds with speeds of 60-70 kmph were reported across Delhi and nearby areas. Palam recorded a wind speed of 20 knots (approximately 35 kmph), gusting up to 40 knots (around 72 kmph).
The IMD said a cyclonic circulation over Haryana and its neighbouring areas, embedded in an east-west trough extending from Punjab to Bangladesh in the lower tropospheric levels, is influencing the weather. Moisture is feeding into the system from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, it added.
The weather shift came hours after Delhi experienced sweltering conditions, with the heat index – or the "feels like" temperature – soaring to 50.2 degrees Celsius, owing to a mix of high humidity and intense sunshine.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature Wednesday touched 40.7 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above normal, while humidity levels oscillated between 64 and 34%.
(With inputs from PTI)
