NEW DELHI: A powerful dust storm hit the capital on Friday evening, causing widespread disruptions across the city. Strong gusty winds, followed by rain, uprooted several trees and led to significant traffic snarls in multiple areas.
The city experienced a sudden weather shift, with sharp temperature drops at weather stations. At Palam, the temperature plummeted by 10 degrees Celsius, while at Safdarjung, it dropped by 7 degrees Celsius due to the dust storm, according to the weather office.
Delhi Traffic Police reported receiving 23 calls about tree uprootings by 10 pm on Friday. “Apart from this, we are continuously receiving traffic-related calls from Bharat Magar, Gulabi Bagh, Kashmere Gate—primarily from north Delhi. Heavy traffic is also reported in Mehrauli, Vasant Kunj, and Mahipalpur in the southern part of the city. Our staff is on the ground to assist commuters,” a police official said.
To keep commuters informed, the Delhi Traffic Police issued alerts on social media about affected routes. “Traffic is impacted on Pankha Road in the carriageway from Dabri towards Uttam Nagar due to a tree falling near A-2 Red Light. On Mathura Road, traffic is disrupted in the carriageway from Ashram towards Badarpur due to a tree uprooting near Okhla Mor Red Light. Plan your journey accordingly,” the traffic police advised on social media platform X.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) confirmed receiving seven reports of tree falls from areas including Jyoti Nagar in Shahdara, Kalkaji, Sultanpuri, Mangolpuri, Baljit Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, and Karkardooma.
Sharing his experience, Aniket Verma, a resident of east Delhi, said, “I was returning home from my office in west Delhi when the thunderstorm struck. The traffic was extremely heavy from JLN Stadium to Sarai Kale Khan. My bike was not stable on the road, so many people parked their two-wheelers by the roadside and waited for the storm to pass.” Another commuter reported slow-moving traffic at Bharat Nagar in north Delhi, where the entire area was gridlocked. In addition, an electric pole fell in the ITO area of central Delhi, further exacerbating traffic woes. The fire officials responded to 18 calls regarding fallen trees and five related to house collapses. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert, advising residents to “be prepared” and “take action” as per its colour-coded advisory.
The IMD recommended that people stay indoors, secure windows and doors, and avoid unnecessary travel. It also recommended taking shelter in safe places -- not under trees -- and avoiding contact with concrete surfaces. People are urged to unplug electrical appliances, exit water bodies immediately, and stay away from objects that conduct electricity till the weather improves. Delhi witnessed sunny weather during the day but by evening, the sky turned cloudy. The maximum temperature was recorded at 35.8 degrees Celsius, 0.3 notches below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 22.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 notches above normal, according to the Met office. Humidity levels ranged between 69 and 61 per cent.
The IMD has predicted thunderstorms with rain on Saturday. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius.