Dust storm hits several parts of Delhi-NCR, airlines issue travel advisory

A dust storm hit several parts of Delhi-NCR on Sunday. This came amid IMD's prediction of adverse weather in the capital city and its surrounding areas.

"An east-southeastward moving cloud cluster is likely to cause very light/light rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm and strong winds 30-40 gusting to 50 kmph over Southern parts of Delhi during next 1-2 hours," IMD had said earlier on Sunday.

The Delhi Airport urged travellers to opt for alternate travel routes such as the Delhi metro to reach well in time for their flights. The airport authorities also urged them to check flights status with their respective flyers.

Meanwhile, Indigo also issued a travel advisory for its travellers. "With ongoing thunderstorms and rain expected over Delhi, we’re seeing a chance of delays and slower traffic to and from the airport. While we can’t control the skies, we’re doing everything possible to keep your journey steady on the ground. Please check your flight status and consider giving yourself a little cushion of time to reach the airport. We’ll keep you posted and we’re always around if you need help," Indigo said.

The Spicejet warning said, "Due to bad weather in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status."

PTI reported that a total of four flights were diverted and a lot of flights were delayed at the Delhi airport due to inclement weather conditions. A source told PTI that due to adverse weather, one flight each to Chandigarh and Amritsar, and two flights were diverted to Jaipur between 5 pm and 5:30 pm.

This comes after multiple dust storms and thunder storms hit the city in the last few days. The dust storms were accompanied by gusty winds and incessant rainfall, which contributed in bringing down the heat.

One of these storms, in particular, turned out to be severe and impacted various parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) - causing widespread destruction to property and in some cases, even life.

According to media reports, experts have said that this shift in weather patterns may be related to broader climatic changes and evolving monsoon dynamics. Delhi was put on yellow alert a few days ago, with a forecast of a thunderstorm and gusty winds. On Saturday morning, the city also woke up to dusty air, causing low visibility.