Gusty winds, rain lash Delhi; trees uprooted, power outages reported in many parts

Winds blew between 40-50 kmph per hour and gusting to over 75 kmph, flights diverted.

Gusty winds accompanied with rain lashed the Capital on Monday morning, bringing the minimum temperature down to 17.2 degrees Celsius from 29 degrees Celsius which is nine degrees below normal. Winds blowing between 40-50 kmph per hour and gusting to over 75 kmph uprooted trees in several areas and caused power outages in some parts of the city. Flights were also diverted due to bad weather.

The  India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert asking residents to stay indoors due to the impact of the thunderstorm in Delhi and neighbourhood areas warning that it could cause damage to vulnerable structures, kutcha houses, traffic disruptions and occasional reduction in visibility. It also warned that loose objects are likely to fly and people should not take shelter under trees.

After a prolonged heatwave, the thunderstorm brought much relief to Delhiites with Safdarjung, the official weather station of the Capital, receiving 12.3 mm of rain. Prior to Monday’s storm, the city had received only 3.3 mm of rainfall for the season.

Delhi Airport reported disruptions in flight operation at 6 30 a.m. due to bad weather and asked passengers to get in touch with the airline concerned for updated flight information. Airlines updated their Twitter accounts saying that there have been delays and diversions due to bad weather and asked passengers to plan their travel to the airport due to the weather.

Private weather forecaster SkyMet said that the minimum temperature recorded in the city was not only the lowest of the season but also the lowest in a decade during May. The lowest all-time minimum in May stands at 15.2 degrees Celsisu, which was observed in May 2, 1982, it added.

On May 15, the maximum temperature in parts of the city had touched 49 degrees Celsius with the IMD attributing the rise in temperature to the absence of active Western Disturbances that usually provide some relief from the rising temperatures. The IMD has forecast cloudy sky with a chance of thunderstorms in Delhi and adjoining areas till May 25.