Severe Storms and Hail Batter Delhi: Four Dead, Flights Delayed, and Streets Waterlogged

New Delhi: A powerful weather system, featuring heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hail, wreaked havoc across Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) early on Friday morning, causing widespread disruption. More than 40 flights were diverted, while nearly 100 others experienced delays as severe weather impacted air traffic throughout the national capital.

Tragedy struck in the Dwarka area of Jaffarpur Kalan, where powerful winds caused a large neem tree to collapse onto a tube well room in Khadkhadi Nahar village. The incident tragically resulted in the deaths of 26-year-old Jyoti and her three children, who were trapped under the debris. Despite swift rescue efforts by the police and fire brigade, all four were declared dead at RTR Hospital. Jyoti’s husband, Ajay, the property owner, sustained minor injuries in the collapse.

As the storm continued to intensify, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of severe thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 70-80 kmph. However, by late morning, the alert was downgraded to orange, signaling less severe but still hazardous conditions.

The weather event caused rapid temperature drops and strong winds that swept across various areas in Delhi. At Safdarjung, wind gusts reached 80 kmph at 5:10 am, while Palam reported 74 kmph at 5:19 am. Other locations saw significant wind speeds as well:

• Pragati Maidan: 78 kmph
• Jaffarpura: 74 kmph
• Pitampura and Lodi Road: 59 kmph
• Najafgarh: 56 kmph
• IGNOU: 52 kmph
• Pharma Science: 46 kmph
• KV Narayana: 39 kmph

Rainfall was also substantial across the city, with Lodhi Road recording 78 mm, Ridge at 59.2 mm, Ayanagar at 39.4 mm, and Safdarjung receiving 7.7 cm of rain by 8:30 am. In total, nearly 8 cm of rainfall fell in just three hours, leading to widespread waterlogging and traffic congestion.

The morning’s downpour also caused a sharp temperature drop, plummeting from 28°C at 5:00 am to a chilling 19°C by 5:30 am. Waterlogged streets in areas like Lajpat Nagar, RK Puram, and Dwarka further crippled morning commutes, adding to the chaos as the city struggled to cope with the aftermath of the storm.