Flight operations hit in Delhi as dust storm rips through city; Red alert issued

Over 15 flights were diverted at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on Friday evening due to a dust storm that ripped through the city and its surrounding areas.

"Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights at Delhi Airport are impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," airport operator DIAL said in a post on X.

Also Read: Dust storm, rain hits Delhi-NCR in sudden weather change amid heatwave | Watch

IndiGo also said that the national capital region and Jaipur are experiencing a dust storm, affecting takeoffs and landings and potentially causing air traffic congestion. This may lead to delays or diversions, the airport operator said in the post.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi and the adjoining NCR, warning of adverse weather conditions for the next few hours.

Air India also issued a travel advisory for their passengers stating that heavy thunderstorms and gusty winds have affected flight operations across parts of Northern India, due to which Air India flights from Delhi have either been diverted or delayed.

The advisory said, “We are closely monitoring the situation and are doing our best to minimise the disruption. We advise our guests to check the latest status of their flights at https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before heading to the airport.”

Delhi sees dust storm for 2nd straight day

Delhi and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram are experiencing a dust storm for the second time this week. The gusty winds have caused power outages in some areas, though no serious damage has been reported yet.

Also Read: Dust storm, rain hits Delhi-NCR amid scorching heatwave | Pics

Some areas have also reported light rainfall along with thunderstorms as well, which the weather department had predicted after a scorching heatwave hit the city.

Due to the extreme amounts of dust, Delhi's air quality had become poor during the day, and has turned moderate in the evening, with the CPCB's Rohini station recording an AQI of 150 at 8 pm.

The IMD predicts that on April 12 the city will face light rain along with general cloudy sky for Delhi. After this, the city is forecast to witness clear skies for the next couple of days.