Heavy rain leaves Delhi in disarray with flights disrupted, roads waterlogged, power cuts

Heavy downpour accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms lashed several parts of Delhi during the early hours on Sunday, disrupting flight operations, causing waterlogging and power cuts across the city.

According to Flightradar24.com, strong winds and lightning made flight take-offs and landings unsafe at Indira Gandhi International Airport, causing delays to nearly 200 flights and cancellation of several others. On an average, flights were delayed by around 45 minutes.

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In a statement to a news agency, airport officials informed that between 11:30 pm and 4 am, 49 flights were diverted from Delhi due to adverse weather conditions. Of these, 17 were international flights.

Delhi Airport authorities issued an advisory to passengers on their X account at 6:50 am on Sunday, alerting them to flight delays caused by adverse weather the previous evening. In a separate post on Saturday, citing the IMD weather forecast, they urged travellers to use alternative transport options, including the Delhi Metro, to avoid delays in reaching the airport.

Sunday’s downpour and storms led to a waterlogging situation in multiple areas across the city, including the roads leading to Terminal 3 of the International Airport. Video of a car submerged deep in water during early morning on Sunday was reported from the Delhi cantonment area. Other areas that were inundated include Moti Bagh, Minto Road, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, ISBT Kashmere Gate and Timarpur. Most of these affected areas got cleared by noon.

Sunday’s downpour and thunderstorms caused waterlogging in several parts of the city, including roads leading to Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. A video from the Delhi Cantonment area showed a car almost entirely submerged early Sunday morning. Other inundated areas included Moti Bagh, Minto Road, ITO, Dhaula Kuan, Kashmere Gate, Peeragarhi Chowk, and Timarpur. Most of these locations were cleared by noon.

Sunday’s rainstorm was the fourth in May, following earlier spells on May 2, 17, and 21. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi received 81.4 mm of rainfall in the most recent spell up to 8:30 am on Sunday. With a total of 186.2 mm so far, this May has become the wettest on record, surpassing the previous high of 165 mm recorded in May 2008.

The weather department had issued a red alert on Saturday night, warning about an approaching thunderstorm cell from the west and northwest. It had forecast severe thunderstorms or dust-raising winds accompanied by frequent lightning and gusty winds under its influence. It had warned of an approaching thunderstorm cell from the west and northwest. The forecast included severe thunderstorms or dust-laden winds, frequent lightning, and strong gusts.

Between 11:30 pm and 5:30 am, Safdarjung – Delhi’s main weather station –recorded 81.4 mm of rainfall and wind speeds reaching up to 82 kmph. Rainfall across other areas included 68.5 mm in Palam, 71 mm in Pusa, 69.6 mm in Lodhi Road, 30 mm in Narela, and 37 mm at Ayanagar.

Strong winds were reported across several parts of the city, with gusts touching 76 kmph at Pragati Maidan, 72 kmph in Palam, 61 kmph in Jafarpur, and 50 kmph near IGNOU.

Strong gusty winds uprooted trees and toppled electric poles, causing power outages in several parts of Delhi, including Bawana, Sultanpuri, Pitampura, and nearby areas.

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