Major storms in Delhi NCR; Flights delayed, roads jammed and at least 2 dead

New Delhi (India) May 22: After experiencing intense heat on Wednesday night, Delhi was suddenly hit by an intense rainstorm that forced the national capital to come to a complete stop. Power outages in several locations, suspended metro services, uprooted trees, damaged motor vehicles, and at least two deaths were among the major damages caused by the severe weather .

The storm was caused by a trough that extended from Punjab to Bangladesh and a cyclonic circulation over Haryana.

There was heavy traffic on several routes in Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad. The collapse of huge signboards at the Sector 142 metro station and Noida's Golf Course caused traffic jams on the highway.

Many areas experienced power disruptions as a result of trees falling on power wires. Discoms reported that the majority of disturbances were rapidly fixed and that the workers were sent out on time.

Air and land travel were severely disrupted by the storm. More than fifty planes were delayed, and at least ten were rerouted to Jaipur and Mumbai.

The major hailstorm caused serious instability on Indigo Flight 6E2142, which was travelling from Delhi to Srinagar causing extreme disturbance on the flight carrying over 220 passengers. The pilot reported the "emergency" to air traffic control in Srinagar.

According to flight tracking websites, the plane made a safe landing in Srinagar at 6:46 p.m. According to reports, everyone on board the plane is safe. The aircraft has been grounded in Srinagar after experiencing nose damage during the hailstorm. 

Due to external objects falling on the rails, the Red, Yellow, and Pink Lines of the Delhi Metro experienced delays in operation.

Major Delhi roads, such as the Delhi–Noida, Delhi–Gurugram, and Delhi–Ghaziabad routes, were made unusable by the storm. 

The IMD has issued a yellow advisory for hot and humid conditions through Friday, with maximum temperatures expected to be between 39 and 41°C. Humidity levels are predicted to increase once more in spite of the rain.

Aadrika Tayal