Delhi's Night Rain and Storm Bring Relief and Disruption

Weather Changes Impact Delhi

A night of rain and storms in Delhi provided some relief from the oppressive heat but also caused significant disruptions. Flight operations were affected, trees and power poles were uprooted, and many areas experienced flooding.

The sudden shift in weather led to a notable drop in temperatures, with the minimum recorded at 19.8 degrees Celsius, which is 6.9 degrees below normal.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the main weather station in Delhi recorded 81.2 millimeters of rainfall between 11:30 PM and 5:30 AM, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of 82 kilometers per hour.

Rainfall measurements included 68.1 millimeters in Palam, 71 millimeters in Pusa, 48 millimeters in Mayur Vihar, 30 millimeters in Narela, and 29 millimeters at Delhi University. Several areas, including Moti Bagh, Minto Road, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Cantonment, Dindayal Upadhyay Marg, and Chanakyapuri, experienced partial flooding.

In the Delhi Cantonment area, a car and a bus were nearly submerged in an underpass. Videos circulating on social media depicted similar scenes reportedly from the Minto Road area.

The weather department had issued a 'red alert' on Saturday night, warning of storms coming from the west and northwest, predicting strong winds and frequent thunder.

Strong winds were recorded in various parts of the national capital, with speeds of 72 kilometers per hour in Palam, 76 kilometers per hour at Pragati Maidan, 61 kilometers per hour in Jafarpur, and 50 kilometers per hour at IGNOU.

Following the heavy rain and storm, temperatures in Delhi dropped rapidly between 1:15 AM and 2:30 AM. Safdarjung saw a decrease from 31 degrees Celsius to 21 degrees Celsius, while Palam dropped from 29 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius.

In Pusa, temperatures fell from 31.8 degrees Celsius to 20.5 degrees Celsius, at Pragati Maidan from 31.4 degrees Celsius to 21.3 degrees Celsius, and at Lodhi Road from 31 degrees Celsius to 22.3 degrees Celsius.

The weather department has forecasted more rain with storms for Sunday, expecting maximum temperatures to hover around 38 degrees Celsius.

Sources indicated that due to adverse weather conditions, 49 flights, including 17 international ones, were diverted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country's largest airport. Reports of flooding were also noted at Terminal 3.

According to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.com, approximately 180 flights experienced delays, and some were canceled.