Heavy rain in Delhi-NCR: IMD says more rainfall in next 2 hours, flights impacted

Residents of Delhi-NCR witnessed heavy rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms on Saturday morning. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rains, thunderstorms and duststorms in Delhi and the adjoining areas in the next few hours.  

As per IMD's recent update, a cluster of cloud patches was passing through the Delhi-NCR, which led to the sudden downpour. "Thunderstorm or duststorm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 40-70 km/h would continue Delhi-NCR & adjoining areas during the next 2 hours," IMD said in its morning update. 

Waterlogging was witnessed in several parts of Delhi after the rainfall. The weather office had predicted light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds would occur over adjoining areas of the entire Delhi (NCR), (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Manesar, Ballabhgarh) in next two hours. 

The Delhi airport stated that flight operations were impacted due to the bad weather. The airport advised flyers to check with arrival and departure schedules with their respective airlines. 

According to Delhi airport sources, four flights headed for Delhi have been diverted to Jaipur due to weather conditions in the national capital. 

The Met department has also predicted pleasant weather to continue for the next three to four days. There will be no heatwave conditions till May 30, the IMD said.  

It has also released an advisory on Twitter following the rainfall update. It suggested everyone in Delhi and neighbouring areas to follow traffic advisories, and asked people to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed. 

The Met department has also advised to take safe shelters and avoid standing under trees. Don't lie on concrete floors and lean against concrete walls, it suggested. Unplugging all electrical devices has also been advised. 

Earlier, the weather department predicted that Delhi is expected to experience light rain and dust-raising winds over the course of the next five days and that there will be no heat wave until Tuesday. 

The daytime temperature, IMD predicted, will remain between 35 and 38 degree Celsius for the next seven days due to occasional showers. 

IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava on Friday said: "There is a Western disturbance effect in Jammu and Kashmir. This effect will come to the North East India region and North East Rajasthan. Due to which light rain and clouds are predicted in Delhi also." 

Also read: High probability of El Nino during monsoon period, rainfall likely to be normal: IMD

Also read: What next for JioCinema after IPL comes to an end? Here's what industry insiders say