Delhi Rain Havoc: 2 Dead, 11 Injured, Flight Disruptions, Uprooted Trees, and Waterlogged Streets
Severe hailstorm disrupts traffic on major roads including Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Ghaziabad, and Delhi-Gurugram, uprooting numerous trees and causing chaos in the city.
Delhi Experiences Rain Havoc: Violent Weather Causes Deaths, Disruptions, and Devastation
A dramatic and sudden shift in the weather was experienced in Delhi-NCR on Wednesday evening, bringing to an end several days of scorching heat with temperatures exceeding 40°C. A downpour of rain, hailstorms, and windy conditions swept over the city, relieving people from the heat but causing widespread misery in the city and the surrounding areas.
Tragedies and Injuries During Storm
The intense weather led to the tragic death of two persons—a 22-year-old male and a disabled person—and injured at least 11 other people in isolated incidents connected to the storm, according to police. The hailstorm wreaked havoc, bringing down trees that crashed onto cars and occluded roads, while waterlogging restricted movement across several localities.
Traffic Disruptions and Flight Cancellations
Large highways like Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Ghaziabad, and Delhi-Gurugram were also choked with fallen trees and road debris. Social media websites were filled with video footage of trees falling on on-moving cars, including one that toppled onto a car parked on Mathura Road. Air travel was also significantly impacted by the storm, with no less than 13 flights diverted—12 to Jaipur and one international flight diverted to Mumbai—causing considerable delay at Delhi airport.
Power Cuts and Infrastructure Damage
The storm hit electricity infrastructure, resulting in power cuts in many northern areas such as Bawana, Narela, Jahangirpuri, Civil Lines, Shakti Nagar, and Wazirabad. Falling branches and trees brought down power cables, leading power corporations like BSES’s BRPL and BYPL to cut supply temporarily as a precautionary measure. Power disruptions were mainly caused by fallen trees snapping cables, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (DDL) said.
Metro Service Disruptions
The Delhi Metro was also disrupted with overhead systems on the Red, Yellow, and Pink Lines being hit. Tracks near Shaheed Nagar, Jahangirpuri, and Nizamuddin stations were damaged by falling objects and heavy winds, causing controlled services and delays.
Extreme Weather Conditions
India Meteorological Department (IMD) measured wind speed at 79 kmph at Safdarjung and 78 kmph at Pragati Maidan. Safdarjung recorded 12.2 mm rain from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, with all other stations doing the same. Gusts and dust storms from the tempest contributed to the chaos, with widespread tree uprooting and destruction of infrastructure.
Traffic Alerts and Emergency Responses
Delhi Traffic Police also sent out notifications regarding traffic jams owing to uprooted trees, for example, on Mathura Road facing Neela Gumbad and Ashram. The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) received reports of several uprooted trees in the NDMC area, for example, Vikas Marg, Akshardham Road, and Sikandra Road. A billboard opposite Laxmi Nagar was also reported to have fallen.
Aircraft in Turbulence
An IndiGo flight from Jammu to Srinagar with more than 220 passengers on board hit intense turbulence during the storm, forcing an emergency report to air traffic control. The plane landed safely in Srinagar, although a few passengers indicated damage to the nose of the aircraft. There has been no official report of structural damage.
Regional Impact and Respite
Nearby Chandigarh and adjoining regions also faced heavy rainfall, hailstorms, and power outages, providing some relief from the intense heat that continues to affect parts of Punjab and Haryana. Despite the temporary reDespite the temporary respite, the overall weather chaos underscored the unpredictability and severity of Delhi’s changing climate.
This unexpected climatic disturbance is a harsh reminder of the necessity for strong disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure to be able to endure such extreme activities in the future.spite, the overall weather chaos underscored the unpredictability and severity of Delhi’s changing climate.
This unexpected climatic disturbance is a harsh reminder of the necessity for strong disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure to be able to endure such extreme activities in the future.
