Hailstorm, high-speed winds hit Delhi, leave flights, metro services in disarray

New Delhi: A sudden hailstorm coupled with intense rain and winds gusting up to 79 km/h swept through Delhi and the National Capital Region late Wednesday, leading to widespread disruption in transport services, uprooting trees, and leaving several parts of the city waterlogged.

The downpour followed an extremely humid and sweltering day, where the “feels like” temperature reached 50.2°C, driven by high humidity and intense sunshine. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature reached 40.7°C, marginally above the seasonal norm, while the minimum was recorded at 30.2°C — the highest of the season so far.

Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport were hit hard as gusty winds and low visibility conditions led to multiple delays and diversions.

“Due to heavy rains and strong wind shear, at least 10 flights had to be diverted, mostly to Jaipur, and one to Mumbai,” said an airport official familiar with the situation. In addition, over 50 flights were delayed between 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm.

Airlines took to social media to inform passengers about potential delays and cancellations. IndiGo posted on X that “flight schedules are currently impacted due to the heavy rains and thunderstorm sweeping across Delhi, Chandigarh, and Kolkata.” Air India and SpiceJet also issued alerts warning travellers of weather-related disruptions in Delhi.

Delhi Metro’s Yellow Line, which connects Samaypur Badli in the north to HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon, saw significant delays. “The metro train I was travelling on did not move for over half an hour between Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk,” said a Kamla Nagar resident.

In a nowcast issued late evening, the IMD reported that convective activity had shifted south and eastward, covering parts of South Delhi and Noida. It predicted that the weather system would move out of Delhi within the hour. The agency also noted a rapid temperature drop of 14°C at Palam as the storm progressed.

Strong winds battered several parts of the city, with Safdarjung recording the highest wind speed at 79 km/h. Other locations such as Palam, Pragati Maidan, and Pitampura reported wind speeds ranging between 65 and 78 km/h.

Rainfall data from the IMD showed that Safdarjung received 12.2 mm of rain between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Mayur Vihar logged 13 mm, while Pitampura recorded 5 mm during the same window.

The storm’s impact was visible across Delhi. According to the New Delhi Municipal Council’s Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), 25 complaints of fallen trees were received. Areas affected included high-profile zones such as Rajaji Marg, Teen Murti Road, Pandit Pant Marg, and Tughlaq Road. Alerts also came from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Marg and Bhagwan Dass Road.

“Tree branches were scattered across roads, and in some cases, full-grown trees had fallen, blocking access,” said an NDMC staff member involved in the overnight clearance operations.

A large billboard collapsed near the Laxmi Nagar red light on Vikas Marg, while waterlogging was reported near Akshardham Flyover, under Tilak Bridge at ITO, and along Sikandra Road. The Delhi Traffic Police issued alerts for multiple affected stretches. “Traffic is affected on Mathura Road from Neela Gumbad towards Ashram due to tree uprooting opposite P S Nizamuddin,” read one of its posts on social media.

The IMD attributed the storm to a cyclonic circulation over Haryana, embedded within a larger trough extending from Punjab to Bangladesh. “Moisture from both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal is feeding into this system, creating favourable conditions for intense weather events,” the department stated.

The storm is likely to be followed by another round of dust and thunderstorms on Friday, with wind speeds projected to reach 50 km/h. Thursday, however, is expected to remain dry, with a forecast of partly cloudy skies and a maximum temperature of around 40°C.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 213 at 4 pm on Wednesday, placing it in the ‘poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. While the rain might offer temporary respite from pollutants, sustained improvement remains uncertain.