Delhi rains: 4 dead; IMD issues red alert, over 100 flights delayed
IMD predicts temperature to remain below the 40-degree Celsius mark and rain and thunderstorms to continue for the next few days
At least four people, all members of a family, were killed and one injured after a tree fell on a tubewell room on an agricultural land in Kharkhari Canal village in Dwarka under the impact of heavy rains and gusty winds that swept through Delhi-NCR on Friday (May 2) morning.
While the weather brought traffic to a standstill, flight operations were severely affected at the Delhi airport, with over 100 flights getting delayed.
4 dead in Dwaraka
Three children and a woman died when a house collapsed in Delhi's Najafgarh following the rains.
"We received a call regarding a house collapse in Kharkari Nahar village in Najafgarh at 5.25 am. We deployed multiple teams on the spot and four people were rescued from the rubble," a Delhi Fire Services official told PTI.
They were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared dead, he said. "We have informed police about the matter," he added.
IMD issues red alert
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi on Friday, forecasting severe thunderstorms and squally winds between 70-80 kmph in the morning.
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The sudden rains also led to the inundation of several city stretches including RK Puram, Lajpat Nagar and Dwarka.
Visuals on social media showed waterlogging on several roads and vehicles and commuters including schoolchildren wading through the water to reach their destinations.
The gusty winds have also led to the uprooting of trees in several parts of Delhi-NCR.
Over 100 flights delayed
Three flights were diverted and over 100 of them were delayed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning as thunderstorms and gusty winds disrupted operations.
An official said two flights that were to land at the Delhi airport were diverted to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad.
More than 100 flights were delayed, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the airport, in a post on X at 5.20 am, said some flights were affected owing to inclement weather conditions.
In another post at 7.25 am, DIAL said the thunderstorm has passed but there is some impact on flight operations due to adverse weather conditions.
"All stakeholders are working together to ensure a seamless and efficient passenger experience," it said.
Air India also said that flight operations in parts of northern India were affected due to adverse weather.
"Some of our flights to and from Delhi are being delayed or diverted, which is likely to impact our overall flight schedule. We are doing our best to minimise disruptions," the airline posted on X at 5.51 am.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is the country's largest and busiest airport, handling around 1,300 flight movements daily.
Also read: April-June to be hotter than usual, more heatwave days likely in many states: IMD
More rains predicted
The weather department predicts the temperature to remain below the 40-degree Celsius mark and rain and thunderstorms to continue for the next few days. The department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi till Saturday, forecasting heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds.
It has advised people to stay indoors and avoid travelling till the weather clears.
“People are advised to keep a watch on the weather for worsening conditions and be ready to move to safer places accordingly,” IMD said in its advisory.