Thunderstorm-Hailstorm Crush Delhi: Adversely Impact Rail-Road-Air Operations
May 22, 2025, 12:03 PM | Skymet Weather Team
Delhi Thundershowers Last Night | Image: Skymet
As predicted yesterday, a dust storm accompanied by strong winds and followed by rain, thundershowers, lightning, and a hailstorm struck most parts of Delhi/NCR in the late evening and early night hours. The intensity of the storm was not expected to be so strong. This was the first severe thunderstorm of this season, accompanied by hail, claiming fatalities. The gusty winds were of the order of about 80 km/h at Safdarjung and about 75 km/h at Palam.
Most parts of NCR, including Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad, were struck almost simultaneously for a couple of hours. After an oppressively hot day, wherein the heat index (feels-like temperature) crossed 50°C, a severe storm pounded most parts of Delhi with howling winds, blinding flashes, a dreadful hailstorm, and deafening thunder. Five lives were claimed due to falling trees. Power outages were reported in several localities.
Metro trains were disrupted on some lines. Road traffic snarled and came to a halt at some places due to inclement weather conditions. Air operations were suspended for some time, and 10 flights were diverted to Jaipur and Mumbai. As a cascading effect, 50 flights were delayed, awaiting clearance of weather conditions.|
The base station at Safdarjung recorded a day maximum of 40.7°C yesterday, about a degree above the normal. With speedy storms and rains, the temperature plunged by 14°C in one hour, from 37°C to 23°C between 1930 1930hr and 2030 2030hr. Safdarjung and Palam recorded 12mm and 10mm of rainfall, respectively. Mayur Vihar and Salwan School observatories registered 18.5 mm of rainfall each. Most other observatories recorded rainfall between 5mm and 10mm during the same period.
As described yesterday, the cyclonic circulation still persists over North Punjab and adjoining parts of Pakistan. An elongated east-west trough extends from the circulation till West Bengal, across South Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Proximity of the trough has reversed the wind pattern to easterly. These winds are moist, warm, and strong too. Last night's rains and moderate to strong low-level winds have mitigated the heat factor today.
The day temperature is likely to barely reach around 37°C today. Though the close vicinity of the trough favors thunderstorm activity for the next 4-5 days, the missing heat trigger today may suppress any convective thunderstorm. However, the conditions will become conducive for the pre-monsoon thunderstorm and showers from tomorrow onwards and more so on the weekend and the whole of next week. Due to a change of winds and extended pre-monsoon weather activity, the heat wave will remain in abeyance over Delhi/NCR for the month of May 2025.
