4 dead, flights delayed, roads waterlogged: How heavy rains have left Delhi reeling

Residents in Delhi-NCR woke up on Friday to cloudy skies, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds.

The rain and strong winds caused a roof to collapse in Delhi’s Dwarka, killing a woman and her three children. The weather also led to waterlogging across several parts of Delhi and surrounding areas, and disrupted flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The rain brought relief after a long spell of hot weather in Delhi and nearby areas like Noida.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of strong thunderstorms and winds of 70–80 km/h until 8:30 am.

In this explainer, we look at how the weather has affected Delhi and nearby areas, the advisory shared by Delhi airport, and some visuals from the region.

4 dead, trees uprooted, waterlogging reported in Delhi-NCR

A woman and her three children died after a tree fell on their room during strong winds in Delhi’s Dwarka area.

The victims were identified as 26-year-old Jyoti and her three children. Her husband suffered minor injuries, The Times of India reported.

While the rain helped ease the heat, it caused major disruptions across Delhi-NCR.

Many areas in the national capital saw heavy waterlogging. Areas like Dwarka Underpass, South Extension, Ring Road, Minto Road, RK Puram, and Lajpat Nagar were among the worst affected.

A few places also reported hailstorms.

Strong rain and thunderstorms uprooted trees and brought down power lines. Weak structures, kutcha houses, and open areas could be damaged, and flying debris may cause harm.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s Nowcast, heavy rain, thunderstorms, and winds up to 70–80 km/h were expected across the city.

Moderate rainfall was also likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh.

Between 5:30 am and 5:50 am, Pragati Maidan saw the strongest gusts at 78 km/h. Other parts of the city also recorded high wind speeds - Najafgarh at 56 km/h, IGNOU at 52 km/h, and both Lodhi Road and Pitampura at 59 km/h, India Today reported.

Delhi also saw a sharp dip in temperature, falling from Thursday night’s low of 26.8 degrees Celsius to about 19 degrees by Friday morning.

Flight operations affected at Delhi airport

Heavy rain on Friday morning caused major delays at Delhi Airport, with over 100 flights affected due to bad weather.

The airport posted an advisory on X, stating that some flights were impacted by the poor weather. Passengers were asked to check with their airlines for the latest updates.

“Our on-ground teams are working closely with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth and efficient experience for passengers,” Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages the airport, said in a post on X at 5:20 am.

Notably, Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country’s busiest, handles about 1,300 flights daily.

Reports claimed that strong winds had caused a metal structure to collapse at Terminal 3. However, airport officials denied any such damage.

Both Air India and IndiGo released advisories warning of possible delays and urged passengers to check flight updates.

“Some of our flights to and from Delhi are being delayed or diverted, which is likely to impact our overall flight schedule. We are doing our best to minimise disruptions,” Air India said in a post on X.

IndiGo said in a statement, “If you’re travelling today, we recommend checking your flight status for real-time updates and planning to leave a little earlier than usual, as weather may impact road traffic too.”

IMD advisory for Delhi-NCR weather

According to an advisory by the IMD, the weather could lead to broken tree branches, uprooted trees, damage to crops and plantations, power cuts, and disruption of communication networks.

The weather department advised residents to stay indoors, avoid travel, and keep away from trees, water bodies, and metal objects.

“Citizens should remain alert and be prepared to move to safer locations if conditions worsen,” the IMD said.

Authorities have also said traffic could face further delays later in the day because of ongoing waterlogging and the weather.

The IMD has issued a yellow alert for Delhi till Saturday.

It also said strong winds are expected on Saturday, with more rain and thunderstorms expected on May 4 and 5. Cloudy skies and chances of showers are likely to continue on May 6 and 7. Daytime temperatures are likely to stay between 26 and 35 degrees Celsius.

The change in weather offers some relief, as the IMD earlier said most parts of the country are expected to see above-normal temperatures in May, with only brief breaks due to thunderstorms.

With inputs from agencies