Delhi weather: How fierce storm ripped through NCR cities, causing destruction and deaths; yellow alert till Friday

A powerful storm with strong winds, rain and hail hit Delhi-NCR on Wednesday evening, leading to the deaths of four people and causing widespread damage. The storm uprooted trees, damaged vehicles, disrupted traffic, and led to power cuts and Metro service delays, according to a report by The Indian Express.

In Delhi, an unidentified man in a wheelchair died on Lodhi Road after a high-voltage wire fell on him. In Gokulpuri, 22-year-old Azhar from Maujpur was trapped under a fallen tree and died. In Ghaziabad, 40-year-old Muzamil died when a tree fell on him while he was riding his bike. A 38-year-old woman also died in Ghaziabad after a school wall collapsed on her jhuggi. Four others were injured in that incident.

The Delhi Fire Services received over 25 calls about trees falling. Two trees outside the Nizamuddin police station crushed two cars. In other areas like Copernicus Marg, Teen Murti Marg, and Mathura Road, fallen trees blocked roads and caused traffic jams.

Metro services were affected too, as wind and debris damaged overhead wires and tracks. Services on the Yellow and Red Lines resumed later at night.

Flights were also hit. Twelve were diverted to Jaipur and one to Mumbai. A Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi suffered damage to its nose due to turbulence but landed safely. Several MPs, including Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, were on board, The Indian Express reported.

Power cuts hit many parts of Delhi, including Bawana, Narela, Model Town, and Burari. Power companies said trees falling on electric lines caused damage, and supply had to be cut to prevent accidents.

In Noida and Greater Noida, traffic jams were reported in several areas. Trees fell on vehicles and buildings, damaging multiple cars and structures, including the gate of a residential society.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a cyclonic circulation over Haryana and its neighbouring areas, embedded in an east-west trough extending from Punjab to Bangladesh in the lower tropospheric levels, is influencing the weather. Moisture is feeding into the system from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, it added.

This sudden weather change came after a very hot day in Delhi, with the "feels like" temperature reaching 50.2°C due to high humidity and strong sun.