Dust storm hits Delhi: The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for Delhi and the adjoining NCR, warning of adverse weather conditions in the coming hours.
Dust storm: Several parts of Delhi witnessed a dust storm on Friday (April 11) that led to trees falling in some areas and residents shutting windows to prevent dust from entering their houses. A total of 15 flights were diverted, and several were delayed at the Delhi airport today due to dust storms and gusty winds, said Airport Sources. “Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights at Delhi Airport are impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates,” airport operator DIAL said in a post on X at 1915 hours.
IndiGo said Delhi and Jaipur are experiencing a dust storm, affecting takeoffs and landings and potentially causing air traffic congestion. This may lead to delays or diversions, the operator said.
Air India issues traffic advisory
Air India issued a travel advisory for their passengers after the sudden change of weather in Delhi and northern areas. According to the advisory, heavy thunderstorms and gusty winds, have affected flight operations across parts of Northern India, due to which some of the Air India flights from Delhi have either been diverted or are delayed. The officials are closely monitoring the situation and are doing the best possible to minimalise the disruptions.
“Poor weather, caused by heavy thunderstorms and gusty winds, has affected flight operations across parts of Northern India. Some of our flights to and from Delhi are being delayed or diverted, which is likely to impact our overall flight schedule. We are closely monitoring the situation and are doing our best to minimise the disruption. We advise our guests to check the latest status of their flights at https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before heading to the airport”, the travel advisory said.
Traffic was also disrupted as trees or their branches fell. Flight operations were also impacted in parts of northern India. Delhi had witnessed a dust storm on Thursday (April 10) also. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department had issued an Orange Alert for thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms in four districts of Himachal Pradesh, while Yellow Alerts have been issued for four other districts.
According to weather reports, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, and Hamirpur witnessed thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by light to moderate rainfall in the last 24 hours. In terms of rainfall amount, Gohar in the Mandi district recorded the highest rainfall at 19 mm, followed by Pandokhar in Mandi with 14 mm. Other areas received light showers. Hailstorm activity was also recorded in Banjar (Kullu), Sundernagar (Mandi), and some parts of the Shimla district.
Just a few days ago, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, and Dharamshala experienced heatwave conditions, which now seem to have eased due to the recent rainfall. As of Friday, thunderstorm and lightning activity was reported in Chamba, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, and Shimla districts, with light morning rain recorded in several areas. Temperatures have dropped by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day, bringing them closer to seasonal averages.
IMD officials expect this weather activity to continue throughout the day. There is a high chance of hailstorms, particularly in the Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba districts. Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely in these regions.
“Thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms are likely in parts of Himachal Pradesh. An Orange Alert has been issued for districts with more intense activity, while Yellow Alerts are in place for areas expecting moderate weather events. People are advised to stay indoors during severe weather,” IMD scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma said.
