Thunderstorm hits Delhi-NCR, causes traffic snarls, flight diversions
May 10, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 11 : After days of heightened temperatures, Delhi-NCR witnessed a major thunderstorm, strong winds, and rainfall on Friday evening, causing traffic disruptions and flight diversion in the national capital.
Adjoining areas like Noida and Ghaziabad also experienced a sudden and intense dust storm.
Delhi airport sources said that due to bad weather, 9 flights heading to the city were diverted to Jaipur.
Traffic was also affected in the national capital and the adjoining areas as trees fell on the roads due to the gusty winds.
Several cars were also damaged in Sector 58 of Noida after a shuttering installed to repair a building fell on the vehicles.
The India Meteorological Department said that winds with over 50 kmph reported in Delhi at 10 pm on Friday.
"Gusty Winds (at 2200 hrs IST of today) reported (kmph) over Delhi: Ujwa 77 kmph; Jafarpur 57 kmph; Lodhi road 61 kmph; Pragati Maidan 63 kmph; Pitampura 57 kmph; Narayana 50 kmph; Najafgarh 40 kmph," the IMD posted on X.
The IMD also put out an advisory that said, "Residents are urged to stay indoors, secure their windows and doors and refrain from unnecessary travel."
Earlier in the day, the IMD forecast a cloudy sky with the possibility of a dust storm and thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds.
"Duststorm/ thunderstorm with rain (followed by rain) and gusty winds with speed of 50-70 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad," IMD said.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature settled at 39 degrees Celsius in Delhi on Friday. The relative humidity oscillated between 47 and 64 per cent during the day .
