New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) A fierce hailstorm, strong winds, and heavy rainfall battered Delhi-NCR late Wednesday evening, uprooting many trees across the Lutyens' Delhi.
The sudden change in weather came after an intensely hot and humid day, with the "feels like" temperature soaring to 50.2 degrees Celsius.
According to data from the New Delhi Municipal Council's Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), at least 25 complaints of tree fall were received from different parts of the Lutyens' Delhi.
Similar incidents were reported from prominent roads and high-security areas, including India Gate to C Hexagon, Rajaji Marg, Teen Murti Road, Pandit Pant Marg, Sansad Marg near the police station, and Tughlaq Road.
Several residential areas like Lodhi Colony, Lodhi Estate, Palika Dham, and Pandara Park also witnessed trees falling. Other affected spots were Ashoka Road opposite Royal Plaza, Jantar Mantar, Gole Market, and the Railway Colony near Safdarjung Airport.
That some trees were uprooted was also reported from diplomatic zones such as near the Prime Minister's residence GKP roundabout, opposite Taj Palace in Chanakyapuri, and Mother Teresa Crescent near Palika Vihar.
Authorities also received alerts from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Marg and Bhagwan Dass Road.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the extreme weather to a cyclonic circulation over Haryana, embedded in an east-west trough stretching from Punjab to Bangladesh.
Moisture inflow from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal fed the system, resulting in wind speeds of 60-70 kmph in several areas. In Palam, wind speed reached up to 72 kmph.
Before the storm, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.7 degrees Celsius, slightly above normal, with humidity levels fluctuating between 64 and 34 per cent.
The sharp shift in weather, though bringing some relief from the heat, left a trail of disruption across central Delhi, with tree clearance operations continuing through the night.