IMD has issued a purple alert for Delhi-NCR, warning of extreme thunderstorms, hailstorms, and excessive winds over the following 2-3 hours.
The India Meteorological Division (IMD) issued a purple alert on Saturday night for Delhi and the Nationwide Capital Area (NCR) in anticipation of extreme thunderstorms, rainfall, and excessive winds over the following 2-3 hours. The warning comes as a thunderstorm cell is about to method the area from the west/northwest, probably inflicting widespread disruptions.
In line with the IMD, residents in Delhi and surrounding areas can anticipate mild to average rain, accompanied by intense thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms, together with robust floor winds reaching speeds of 60-100 km/h. The division urged the general public to keep away from open fields and chorus from taking shelter below bushes, as these situations might pose important security dangers.
The affected areas embrace not solely Delhi but additionally a large swath of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, together with cities similar to Ghaziabad, Noida, Better Noida, Panipat, Karnal, Hissar, Meerut, and elements of Rajasthan. These areas are anticipated to expertise mud storms adopted by thunderstorms, with gusty winds and frequent lightning.
On Wednesday evening, the same storm prompted the demise of no less than two individuals in Delhi, together with a person with disabilities who was tragically struck by an electrical energy pole that fell close to the Lodhi Highway flyover. In a separate incident, a tree fell on a 22-year-old man in northeast Delhi’s Gokulpuri, resulting in his demise.
Moreover, a sandstorm and heavy rain left a number of individuals injured and prompted important property harm. In a single occasion, a 55-year-old man was injured when a balcony collapsed in Kashmiri Gate. A number of buildings throughout town skilled structural harm, together with incidents of falling bushes and uprooted poles that prompted energy outages in lots of elements of the NCR.
The storm additionally disrupted air journey, with an IndiGo flight sure for Srinagar encountering extreme turbulence. Over 200 passengers aboard the flight have been caught within the storm, however the plane managed to land safely regardless of seen harm. Passengers on the flight have been seen panicking because the airplane shook amid the turbulence.
The IMD’s forecast highlights that whereas the quick storm will cross within the subsequent few hours, the specter of additional weather-related disturbances stays, and authorities proceed to observe the state of affairs carefully.
Because the area braces for the following spherical of utmost climate, residents are urged to remain indoors and take mandatory precautions to safeguard themselves towards the continued threats posed by the storms and powerful winds.