Alert passengers! Brace for more flight delays as Delhi could witness more rains

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Nikita Vashisht Moneycontrol News 

Gusty winds and thunderstorm could disrupt airline operations at Delhi airport in the coming days as western disturbances are expected to result in stormy conditions across northern India.

A senior official working at the meteorological department at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport told Moneycontrol that February 18-21 could see regions under western Himalaya braving thunderstorms and strong winds.

"In the coming days, the western disturbance could lead to gusty winds on February 19, 20 and 21 affecting operations at Delhi IGI," said RK Jenamani, head, meteorological department, IGI.

He said that winds at the speed of 20 to 30 kilometres per hour could be witnessed during these days with two to three thunderstorms.

Weather in the national capital changed abruptly on February 14th when people woke up to thunderstorms and spells of rain during the early part of the day. Consequently, two city bound flights, Vistara (UK 946) and GoAir (G8 709), were diverted to Lucknow and Jaipur respectively. Both of them originated from Ahmedabad.

A source told Moneycontrol that two more flights were expected to get diverted in case the're was a prolonged weather condition.

"Delhi airport has all the provisions to receive the diverted flights once the situation is normal," the source said.

According to Jenamani, airports in the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are expected to witness more disruption than Delhi.

"Western disturbances will be very active across the hill, especially February 19 and 20, which could lead to low visibility and overcast of clouds, " he said.

Consequently, plains at the bottom of western Himalaya will witness strong easterly to south easterly winds, leading to gusty winds.

"Rain will affect (operations) more in the hilly area than plain region like Delhi," he said.

Another official from the department told Moneycontrol that Delhi airport, in the months of January and February usually sees disruptions due to fog. It was, however, for the first time in almost a decade and a half that flight operations were disrupted due to rain.

"Three spells of hailstorm were witnessed in Delhi last week when the wind speed touched 50 to 60 km per hour," the official said.

Close to 38 flights were diverted on February 7th when heavy rains and hailstorm took over the national capital region throughout the day. Flight operations were particularly affected between 6 pm to 8.45 pm when several flights were delayed. Operations of small aircrafts were suspended during the period. Rainfall across the national region was in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm.

Delhi airport has never seen any diversion during February due to thunderstorm or hailstorm at least since 2005, the official said.

"Even then, Delhi has never seen significant dense fog of such scale that 38 diversions could happen in a single day," he said.

Official sources have said that "limited effect" of rain will be witnessed next week as was seen on February 14.

"Effect of western disturbance will be more on the airports of hills of western Himalaya than the airports in the plain region... It will not be like last week," the source said.