2 Killed, 23 Injured After Trees Fall, Buildings Damaged In Delhi Storm

New Delhi: Two people were killed and 23 others injured after trees fell and buildings were damaged during the massive dust and thunderstorm that hit Delhi-NCR on Friday. 

According to the Delhi police, 152 calls reporting uprooted trees and 55 calls about damages to buildings were received after the dust storm on Friday. Over 200 residents also reported power outages.

Thunderstorms and strong winds also caused traffic disruptions and flight diversions in the city. According to airport officials, nine flights heading to Delhi were diverted to Jaipur. Traffic was affected in several areas due to poor visibility and uprooted trees. 

Light rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning also likley over south Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, south-east Arunachal pradesh, south-east Assam, manipur south interior karnataka and Kerala during next 3 hours.

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 11, 2024

Several cars were also damaged in Sector 58 of Noida after a shuttering installed to repair a building fell on the vehicles, news agency ANI reported.

The weather department has predicted more rain and thunderstorms in the national capital today. Delhi-NCR residents woke up to light rain and cloudy skies on Saturday morning after the city reeled under high temperatures and humidity for several days.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, more rain along with thunderstorms are expected in the national capital this morning. “Light rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and lightning also likely over south Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, south-east Arunachal Pradesh, south-east Assam, Manipur south, interior Karnataka and Kerala during next 3 hours,” it said in a post on X.

The weather department has predicted light rain over most of north India and some southern states. Light rain is expected in Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan, while Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka may receive moderate rain.

The India Meteorological Department said that winds with over 50 kmph were reported at 10 pm on Friday. “Gusty Winds (at 2200 hrs IST of today) reported (kmph) over Delhi: Ujwa 77 kmph; Jafarpur 57 kmph; Lodhi road 61 kmph; Pragati Maidan 63 kmph; Pitampura 57 kmph; Narayana 50 kmph; Najafgarh 40 kmph,” the IMD posted on X. The weather department also advised residents to stay indoors, secure windows and refrain from unnecessary travel.

According to the IMD, the maximum temperature on Friday settled at 39 degrees Celsius in Delhi while the humidity rose to 64% during the day.