Gusty winds, heavy rains and hailstorms lashed Delhi on Wednesday, causing tree felling, waterlogging and traffic jams in many areas. Road, train and air traffic were severely affected even though the fall in temperature provided people relief from the scorching heat of the past few days.
At least 10 flights were diverted to nearby airports—mainly to Jaipur—and over 50 flights were delayed between 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm, the Hindustan Times reported, quoting an airport official.
Low-cost carrier IndiGo said in a post on X that their flight schedules were currently impacted due to the heavy rains and thunderstorms sweeping across Delhi, Chandigarh and Kolkata.
In a separate statement, the airline said said that its flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route.
"The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol, and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar. The airport team attended to the customers after the arrival of the aircraft, prioritising their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance," it said.
Both Air India and SpiceJet said rain and thunderstorms may disrupt flights to/from Delhi this evening.
"Due to bad weather (thunderstorm with heavy rain) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/ arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Additionally, traffic movement to the airport might be affected due to heavy rains," SpiceJet said in a post on X.
According to IMD officials, the rain brought down the temperature by 14 degrees Celsius—from 37 degrees Celsius at 7.30 pm, it dropped to 23 degrees Celsius at 8.30 pm at Palam.
The weather agency claimed that 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).
Tree branches fell in several areas, including Vikas Marg, Akshardham Road, Sikandra Road, Firoz Shah Road, and on the loop towards Akshardham Road, reported PTI.
Safdarjung recorded 12.2 mm of rainfall in just three hours between 5.30 pm and 8.30 pm.
Several areas, including near the Akshardham Flyover, Sikandra Road, and under Tilak Bridge near ITO witnessed waterlogging.