49 flights disrupted, roads flooded, trees uprooted as massive storm lashes Delhi
As many as 49 flights, including 17 international ones, were diverted at IGI airport in Delhi due to the heavy rains; many areas in the capital were flooded
Flight operations were disrupted, streets heavily waterlogged, trees uprooted in the national capital as a severe thunderstorm battered the city till the early hours of Sunday.
As many as 49 flights, including 17 international ones, were diverted at the country's largest IGI airport in Delhi due the heavy rains.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the city's primary weather station recorded winds gusting up to 82 kmph and 81.2 mm of rain in six hours, between Saturday 11.30 pm and 5.30 am on Sunday.
Many flights disrupted
The flights were diverted between 11.30 pm on Saturday and 4 am on Sunday due to bad weather.
180 flights delayed
In a post on X at 3.59 am, IndiGo said adverse weather conditions in Delhi led to temporary disruptions in flight operations.
"While the weather is gradually easing, some airside congestion remains. We assure you that flight movements are steadily resuming as conditions permit," the airline said.
Also read: Rain havoc from north to south: Monsoon batters Kerala, flight ops hit in Delhi
At 5.54 am it said in an X post that flight operations are back to normal with clearer skies over Delhi.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that around 180 flights have been delayed and some cancelled at the airport.
The city weather station recorded 81.2 mm till 5:30 am, the previous record being 165 mm in May 2008. However, Delhi has already received 186.2 mm of rainfall this month, making it the wettest May on record.
Gusty winds, ranging between 60 and 100 km/h, swept through Delhi-NCR.
Moti Bagh, Minto Road, Delhi Cantonment and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg were flooded, according to reports.
Winds were blowing at 82 kmph and the temperature recorded in Delhi at that time was 22 degrees Celsius.
Red alert
A red alert was issued by the IMD on Saturday night, forecasting light to moderate rain accompanied by a severe thunderstorm, lightning, hail, and squally winds of 60–100 km/hr. The weather body has warned that a thunderstorm cell was approaching Delhi and adjoining areas from the west/northwest.
Also read: Weather update: Heavy rain alert for Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Mumbai
The alert was issued at 10.30 pm, warning of impact over the next two hours. At 9.30 pm, it was an orange alert, with winds forecast to reach up to 70 km/hr for a brief period.
Public advisory
The IMD had also issued a public advisory, urging people to stay indoors and avoid travel unless necessary, unplug electrical appliances, avoid taking shelter under trees, refrain from using mobile phones outdoors, and to keep emergency kits or flashlights ready.
They also urged people to avoid open spaces, to stay away from weak walls and unstable structures and not go near water bodies.
Monsoon hits Kerala
The heavy rainfall and thunderstorm in Delhi comes after the monsoon reached the Indian mainland in Kerala, a week ahead of the usual date and the earliest since 2009.
Normally, the southwest monsoon makes its onset over Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8.
It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.
'Four-engine' govt failed: AAP
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday lambasted the BJP-led city dispensation over the waterlogging in the national capital, calling it a failure of the "four-engine" government.
The party on X shared images from several submerged parts of the city, such as Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Cantonment, and ITO.
"There is not a single area in Delhi where waterlogging has not occurred, which tells the tale of failure of BJP's four-engine government," it said in the post in Hindi.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the allegations.
Former Delhi chief minister Atishi shared a video from Minto Bridge — a spot chronically afflicted with waterlogging.
"A car submerged under Minto Bridge after little rain. It is clear that the four engine government has failed," she posted on X in Hindi.
Thunderstorms accompanied with heavy rain battered Delhi overnight, disrupting flight operations, uprooting trees and electricity poles, and leaving several areas submerged.
The India Meteorological Department said the city's primary weather station recorded winds gusting up to 82 kmph and 81.2 mm of rain in six hours between 11.30 pm and 5.30 am.
(With inputs from agencies)