A calm Monday afternoon in Delhi-NCR turned turbulent as a powerful dust storm swept across the region, followed by heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for severe weather conditions.
The sudden change brought relief from the heat but also raised concerns over potential disruption, as the IMD warned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds of 70–90 kmph were highly likely across the national capital.
The weather system intensified through the afternoon. At 2:30 pm, Palam recorded wind speeds of 50 knots, equivalent to 92 kmph, making it one of the strongest wind events witnessed in the city in recent weeks.
Several parts of Delhi had already received light rainfall earlier in the day before conditions deteriorated further. As dark clouds gathered over the city, strong winds and dust reduced visibility in several areas, signalling the arrival of the storm system.
The IMD said many parts of Delhi were likely to continue receiving light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds of 60–70 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 80 kmph.
According to the weather department, Safdarjung, the city’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 28.2 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, which was 0.7 degrees above the seasonal average.
Weather experts attributed the abrupt shift in conditions to a western disturbance currently affecting the Himalayan region. They said the influence of the system is expected to weaken from Tuesday onwards. Once its impact fades, temperatures across Delhi are likely to rise again, bringing an end to the brief spell of unsettled weather.
The red alert underlines the intensity of the weather event, with authorities closely monitoring conditions as strong winds, rain and thunderstorms continue to affect parts of the national capital region.
