An IndiGo flight number 6E 6313 from Raipur to Delhi experienced turbulence due to a dust storm on Sunday (June 1). It immediately prompted the IndiGo pilot to climb up again when the aircraft was about to touch down at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. The aircraft landed safely at Delhi airport after making many circuits in the air. The pilot announced that the wind speed was up to 80 km per hour, and the pilot discontinued the approach and climbed back till the weather cleared.
Delhi airport sees 14 flight diversions, over 350 delays amid severe weather
Operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were significantly impacted on Sunday evening due to adverse weather conditions, resulting in widespread flight disruptions. Between 4:30 pm and 6:10 pm, a total of 14 flights were diverted from Delhi to alternative airports. According to sources, seven flights were rerouted to Jaipur, two each to Chandigarh and Amritsar, and one each to Ahmedabad, Dehradun, and Lucknow.
In addition to the diversions, over 350 flights experienced delays, according to real-time tracking data from Flightradar24.com.
IGIA, the busiest airport in India, witnessed the cascading effect of the inclement weather, which included dust storms, heavy winds, and scattered rainfall in the Delhi-NCR region. Authorities advised passengers to check with airlines for updated flight information as operations gradually stabilised later in the evening.
Rain lashes Delhi-NCR
Parts of Delhi experienced a brief spell of very light to light rain on Sunday evening, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, providing temporary relief from the ongoing heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed this weather activity to an east-southeast moving cloud cluster, with wind speeds ranging from 30 to 40 kmph and gusts reaching up to 50 kmph over southern areas of the capital within one to two hours.
Notable wind gusts were recorded in several locations: Palam and Jharoda Kalan in southwest Delhi experienced gusts of 65 kmph and 37 kmph respectively around 4:30 pm, while a thundersquall struck Safdarjung between 4:35 pm and 4:37 pm, with winds peaking at 66 kmph. Pragati Maidan reported the highest gust of the day at 76 kmph at 4:45 pm.
Despite the sudden weather changes, no major waterlogging incidents were reported, with the Public Works Department (PWD) receiving around 10 waterlogging-related calls. The IMD explained that the storm resulted from the interaction of multiple weather systems, including a Western Disturbance featuring cyclonic circulation over northern Pakistan at mid-tropospheric levels, another cyclonic circulation over Haryana at lower levels, and sustained moisture inflow from the Arabian Sea. Additional dynamic and thermodynamic factors also contributed to the development of the storm.
The maximum temperature settled at 37.9 degrees Celsius, which is 2.1 degrees below the seasonal average. Relative humidity fluctuated between 98% and 56%. Looking ahead, the IMD forecasted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph for Monday, with temperatures expected to range between 37°C (max) and 21°C (min).
Air quality in Delhi was recorded in the "moderate" category on Sunday afternoon, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 197, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). For context, an AQI between 0-50 is considered "good," 51-100 "satisfactory," 101-200 "moderate," 201-300 "poor," 301-400 "very poor," and 401-500 "severe."
