Delhi weather: Why did national capital suddenly witness dust storms, rain amid heatwave-like conditions?

Dust storms and high-speed winds swept across the national capital on Monday night amid an ongoing yellow alert for thunderstorms and rain in the city. The weather conditions also impacted the ongoing IPL clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium with players trying to cover their faces during the match.

Why is Delhi witnessing thunderstorms?

After a prolonged spell of heatwave-like conditions, weather experts attributed the change to an ongoing cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan, northwest Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, reported PTI.

They said the circulation is moving towards the northeast of the country, bringing with it dust and sand from Rajasthan, leading to dust storms in the region.


"This change is expected to lead to a drop in temperatures in the coming days as the disturbance may affect the city till April 30. Parts of Rajasthan and Haryana may receive rainfall tonight, and the system is expected to reach Delhi soon," Mahesh Palawat of Skymet told PTI.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), thunderstorms, rain and dust storms have been forecast till April 30, with a yellow alert issued for April 29.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature in the national capital on Monday settled at 42.3 degrees Celsius, 2.1 degrees above normal.

Flight ops impacted

IndiGo on Monday issued a travel advisory for Delhi airport passengers, warning that thundershowers could impact flight operations.

"With thunderstorms expected to pass over Delhi, departures and arrivals may be impacted. While our teams are preparing well in advance to keep things running smoothly, the weather may slow things down a touch," said the low-cost airline in a post on social media platform X.

"If you're travelling today, we recommend checking your flight status on our website or app before heading out through https://bit.ly/4bCoWYk. Please also allow for some extra travel time as road traffic may also be affected."