96km/hr: Delhi’s most intense squall this year

This surpassed the wind speed of 82km/hr recorded during a thunderstorm on May 25, according to IMD data

Wind speeds briefly touched 96km/hr in the Capital at Palam between 4.28pm and 4.30pm on Sunday, marking the most intense spell of squally thunderstorm recorded this year, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Gusty winds on Sunday evening. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

This surpassed the wind speed of 82km/hr recorded during a thunderstorm on May 25, according to IMD data. The last time Delhi reported a stronger spell was when winds touched 100km/hr at the Safdarjung weather station on May 31, 2022.

“A thundersquall was recorded at Palam, with the wind speed touching 96km/hr at Palam. This is the strongest spell so far this season in Delhi,” IMD scientist Krishna Mishra said.

The IMD said this was a severe squall. A squall is defined as a sudden increase in wind speed of at least 29km/hr (16 knots) with the speed rising to 40km/hr (22 knots) or more and lasting for at least one minute. It is a “moderate” squall if the wind speed gusts up to 74km/hr and a “severe” squall if it is over 100km/hr. Considering only wind speed, IMD classifies winds of 89-117km/hr as cyclonic storms and 118-165km/hr as severe cyclones.