Dust storm in Delhi: Two dead, 23 injured; rainfall likely over the weekend

The storm brought strong winds that uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, and caused the collapsing of walls in various parts of the city.

A dust storm struck Delhi on Friday, along with thunderstorms and rain, killing at least two people and injuring 23 others.

A road gets blocked as trees fall after a massive dust storm, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo)

The storm brought strong winds that uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, and caused walls to collapse in various parts of the city. Many areas also saw power outages.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted rainfall in Delhi over the weekend. As per the IMD forecast, by Sunday, the maximum temperature is likely to dip and settle around 37°C, while the minimum is likely to oscillate between 28°C and 29°C.

As reported per PTI, officials received 152 calls, out of which 130 were made to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS). These calls were regarding fallen trees, poles, and billboards. Additionally, 55 calls were received about collapsed buildings and structures.

According to officials, over 200 calls were received regarding power disruptions.

At the Delhi airport, at least nine flights were cancelled on Friday night due to the bad weather conditions.

During the storm on Friday, some areas in Delhi saw winds as fast as 77km/hour, according to the Met Department.

Earlier on Friday, the Meteorological Department issued a "yellow alert" for dust storms and rain for the weekend, but later upgraded it to an “orange alert”, indicating severe weather conditions.

The storm started around 9pm, with wind speeds reaching 77 kmph over Ujwa at 10pm, 63 kmph at Pragati Maidan, and 61kmph at Lodhi Road.

“Stay indoors, close windows and doors and avoid travel if possible. Take safe shelters, do not take shelter under trees,” the IMD said in an advisory on Friday.

“The dust storm occurred due to an interaction between mid-tropospheric south-westerlies and lower tropospheric easterlies,” IMD scientist Krishna Mishra told HT.

“We may see generally cloudy skies throughout the weekend, with a possibility of very light rain and thunderstorms... The rainfall is due to the influence of western disturbances as well as some low-level easterlies coming in from the Bay of Bengal,” said Mishra. He also added that partly cloudy skies are likely to continue over Delhi till May 14.