‘Felt like an earthquake’: Dust storm lashes Delhi-NCR with winds over 70 kmph

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A powerful dust storm accompanied by gusty winds and heavy rainfall swept through several parts of Delhi-NCR on Friday, causing widespread chaos, bringing traffic to a halt, and uprooting trees across the national capital.

Residents took to social media to post dramatic visuals of the storm’s impact, with one user describing the experience as eerily similar to an earthquake, reported Hindustan Times. “My building is literally shaking right now. 20th floor, lights swinging, crazy wind outside in Delhi NCR… feels like a 20-minute earthquake,” the user wrote, adding that the intensity of the storm left him nauseous and too afraid to use the lift.

An IndiGo passenger travelling from Jammu to Delhi shared shaky videos from inside the aircraft, describing severe turbulence after multiple diversions. According to the  report, over 15 flights were diverted from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport due to the inclement weather.

Social media videos showed dark, dust-filled skies with howling winds and falling visibility. Several clips captured trees being uprooted and collapsing on vehicles, as well as signboards torn from their frames.

At IGI Airport, wind gusts reached 74 kmph, while Pragati Maidan and Lodhi Road recorded wind speeds of 70 kmph and 69 kmph respectively, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Speeds ranged from 37 kmph in Najafgarh to 56 kmph in Safdarjung. One Gurgaon resident captioned a video of the storm, “Dust storm in Gurgaon. It looks like apocalypse.”

The IMD has forecast thunderstorms and rain for Saturday, with maximum temperatures expected to hover around 35°C and minimum temperatures dropping to about 20°C. Clearer skies are expected to return to the Delhi-NCR region after Saturday, the weather office said.