Delhi rain havoc: 2 dead, 11 hurt, flights disrupted, trees uprooted, and waterlogged streets

After several days of scorching heat with temperatures above 40°C, Delhi-NCR saw a sudden weather change on Wednesday evening. Heavy rain, hailstorms, and strong winds hit the national capital and nearby areas, bringing relief but causing tree falls, waterlogging, and traffic jams.

Flight operations at Delhi airport were disrupted, and passengers of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) Yellow Line were stranded for hours.

Meanwhile, waterlogging was also observed at multiple spots across the city, including near the Akshardham Flyover, Sikandra Road, and under Tilak Bridge close to ITO, causing inconvenience to commuters and residents in these areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a cloud mass moved from North Delhi south-southeastwards, triggering a dust storm and strong winds.

The sudden shift in weather came after the national capital experienced extremely hot and humid conditions, with the heat index reaching 50.2 degrees Celsius due to a combination of high humidity and intense sunshine. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature climbed to 40.7 degrees Celsius, which was 0.5 degrees above the normal average, while humidity fluctuated between 34% and 64%, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Delhi rain havoc

1. A 22-year-old man and a person with disabilities lost their lives, while at least 11 others were injured in separate incidents linked to the sudden rainfall in Delhi on Wednesday evening, reported citing police. The intense hailstorm wreaked havoc across the city, disrupting traffic on major routes including Delhi-Noida, Delhi-Ghaziabad, and Delhi-Gurugram roads, and uprooting numerous trees. Social media was flooded with videos and images showing trees falling on moving vehicles. One such tree also fell on a parked car on Mathura Road.
2. Due to the heavy rain and thunderstorm, at least 13 flights at Delhi airport were diverted on Wednesday. Sources told that 12 flights were redirected to Jaipur, while one international flight was rerouted to Mumbai, causing significant disruption to flight operations.
3. Multiple areas in Delhi experienced power outages late Wednesday evening as the thunderstorm and hailstorm caused damage to electricity infrastructure. Falling trees and branches affected power lines, leading to interruptions in electricity supply in several parts of the city, especially in northern localities like Bawana, Narela, Jahangirpuri, Civil Lines, Shakti Nagar, Model Town, Wazirabad, and Dhirpur, according to statements from BSES’s BRPL and BYPL.
4. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (DDL) issued a statement explaining that electricity supply had to be temporarily cut off in certain areas as a safety measure to protect people from the risk of electrocution. The power disruption was caused by trees and branches falling onto electric cables, damaging the infrastructure.
5. The hailstorm and heavy rain also damaged overhead equipment on the Delhi Metro network, blocking tracks in some locations and causing service disruptions on the Red, Yellow, and Pink Lines. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesperson confirmed the impact, noting that strong winds and external objects had fallen on tracks near Shaheed Nagar, Jahangirpuri, and Nizamuddin stations, leading to regulated metro services.
6. Strong gusty winds and dust storms battered several parts of Delhi, with wind speeds recorded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reaching up to 79 kmph at Safdarjung, 74 kmph at Palam, 78 kmph at Pragati Maidan, and 65 kmph at Pitampura. Between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm, Safdarjung received 12.2 mm of rainfall, while other weather stations like Mayur Vihar and Pitampura recorded 13 mm and 5 mm of rain, respectively.
7. The Delhi Traffic Police issued alerts on social media, informing the public about traffic disruptions caused by uprooted trees. For instance, traffic was affected on Mathura Road between Neela Gumbad and Ashram due to a fallen tree opposite the P S Nizamuddin police station.
8. The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at Palika Kendra reported receiving 13 complaints of tree falls in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area alone. Tree branches fell at various locations such as Vikas Marg, Akshardham Road, Sikandra Road, Firoz Shah Road, and the loop toward Akshardham Road. Additionally, a billboard collapsed near the Laxmi Nagar red light on Vikas Marg.
9. A Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi with over 220 people onboard encountered a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, forcing the pilot to report “emergency” to the air traffic control in the valley. The aircraft landed safely in Srinagar and was grounded, as per officials. The panic in those moments led the passengers to scream, cry and pray to God. Some flyers claimed that the nose of the plane was damaged in the turbulence but, no official word has been received so far on such an occurrence.
10. The capital’s neighbouring territory of Chandigarh and the adjoining areas were battered by rain on Wednesday evening, bringing some respite to the residents from the melting heat. Some places received hailstorm, while others reported power supply cut as well. Smouldering heat conditions prevailed in the majority of parts of Punjab and Haryana.