Heavy rain lashed Delhi-NCR on Wednesday as the national capital witnessed relief from the severe heat. Delhi has been witnessing severe heat in May with mercury hitting temperatures near 40.
Rain, accompanied by hailstorms, hit the national capital in the evening on Wednesday as Delhites got relief from the temperature.
Watch the Video here:
Gusty winds and dust storms hit the capital first as people looked for shelter. Meanwhile, rain followed the dust storm to provide relief in a major change in weather.
Delhi has been witnessing temperature hikes with people finding it hard to travel during the daytime. The mercury has been on the rise with the capital having experienced a high of 41.8 degrees on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the heaven gates opened up in NCR regions in Ghaziabad and Karnal too. Rain splashed the streets in Karnal, while Ghaziabad also witnessed gusty winds, heavy rainfall and lightning.
While rain lashed Delhi and the adjoining NCR region, a tree at the Teen Murti Marg was uprooted due to the gusty winds. Another tree at Janpath Road was seen uprooted due to the sudden change in the weather.
A tree fell in Gokulpuri too, where a man died. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Gokulpuri Police Station promptly arrived at the scene with his team. Upon arrival, they discovered that two motorcycles and a person were trapped beneath the fallen tree. The individual was found to be critically injured and was immediately transported to GTB Hospital via PCR (Police Control Room) van. Unfortunately, during the examination at the hospital, doctors declared him dead.
The deceased has been identified as Azhar, son of Riaz, residing at House No. 130, Vijay Mohalla, Maujpur, Delhi, aged approximately 22 years. Legal proceedings related to the incident are currently underway.
Many flights to Delhi halted or diverted
Meanwhile, many domestic and international flights to Delhi airport from various airports have been halted or diverted due to weather conditions in Delhi, Airport sources have informed.
Earlier today, the India Meteorological Department stated that heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated parts of Delhi, among other states and Union Territories. It predicted the night to be warm in isolated parts of Delhi, among others. "Heat Wave conditions very likely at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan," the IMD had said in a post on X.
"Hot and Humid weather very likely at isolated places over Odisha. Warm Night conditions very likely at isolated places over East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Punjab," it added.
Notably, a tree fell onto a car at Teen Murti Lane. The cab driver and a passenger were onboard in the car when the tree fell onto it. Trees fell on other places too.
DMRC issues an update in its service
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has also issued an update in its service. "DMRC issues a service update. Due to a sudden windstorm, there has been some damage to OHE or external objects falling/coming onto metro tracks at certain locations. As a result, Metro services are affected and being regulated on these affected sections on Red, Yellow and Pink Lines near Shaheed Nagar, Jahangirpuri and Nizamuddin stations, respectively. Efforts are being made to remove these objects and restore OHE on an immediate basis to restore normalcy, DMRC said in a post on X.
Power disruptions in parts of Delhi due to rain and strong wind
The thunderstorm and hailstorm accompanied by strong winds and rains led to instances of power disruption in parts of the city, primarily due to falling of trees and their branches on electricity cables. BSES Operations and Maintenance teams are on a high alert, with Quick Response Teams (QRTs) promptly deployed to attend to complaints. In most cases, power supply is being restored swiftly. However, in a few pockets, restoration is taking longer than usual primarily due to the damage caused to electricity infrastructure by fallen trees and their branches.
It is important to note that tree cutting and removal—a critical requirement in such situations—is a time-consuming process carried out in coordination with the civic agencies. Additionally, traffic congestion because of fallen trees is delaying the movement of our teams in some locations. As a precautionary measure we had to temporarily switch-off power supply in certain areas to prevent electrocution and ensure public safety. The safety and well-being of citizens remains the highest priority for us."