Massive dust storm hits Delhi, uproots trees, affects metro services
The storm hit just around 8 PM with sudden gusts of winds, and was followed by rain and thunder.
A sudden dust storm accompanied by rain and hail hit Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday, bringing relief from the heatwave conditions prevalent in the national capital. Flights at IGI airport were affected, and some uprooted trees were also seen in the region.
The storm hit just around 8 PM with sudden gusts of wind and was followed by rain, thunder, and hail. While it disrupted life, it also relieved the residents of the region from the intense heat experienced in recent days. But it also brought tragedy.
A man in a wheelchair was killed on Lodhi Road when an electric pole fell on top of him, Delhi Police said.
The India Meteorological Department (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.
Wind speed reached 79 kmph over Safdarjung and touched 72 kmph over Palam. Central Delhi’s Gol Market and Lodi Road also reported hail. Rain, along with hail, was also reported in Noida.
Due to the sudden change in the weather, flights at the Indira Gandhi International airport were delayed.
Visuals also showed trees uprooted due to the storm.
Metro services affected
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) issued a statement informing that services at certain stations have been affected in the aftermath of the storm.
“Due to a sudden windstorm, there has been some damage to OHE or external objects falling/coming onto metro tracks at certain locations. As a result, Metro services are affected and being regulated on these affected sections on Red, Yellow and Pink Lines near Shaheed Nagar, Jahangirpuri and Nizamudin stations respectively. Efforts are being made to remove these objects and restore OHE on an immediate basis to restore normalcy,” the DMRC statement on X read.
Heat before the storm
Before the storm and rain, the "feels like" temperature in Delhi touched 50.2 degrees Celsius during the day on Wednesday, with summer heat persisting and humidity going high.
The maximum temperature reached 40.7 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above normal, according to IMD, while humidity ranged between 64 and 34 per cent during the day.
The heat index, also known as the apparent or "feels like" temperature, measures how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.
Meanwhile, the capital recorded its highest minimum temperature of the season so far at 30.2 degrees Celsius, 3.5 degrees above normal.
The IMD forecast
IMD had a forecast of rain, along with thunderstorm for Delhi on Wednesday.
The temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 41.8 degrees Celsius, along with an increased humidity level, causing unease among people outdoors.
