Thunderstorm, rain wreak havoc in Delhi; flights, metro services disrupted

Thunderstorms caused traffic snarls, flight delays and metro disruptions across Delhi as trees fell and cables snapped; IMD predicts more rain and no heatwave this week

Heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed parts of the national capital on May 21, triggering flight delays, metro disruptions, traffic jams and power outages. The intense weather also uprooted trees, damaged vehicles and brought parts of the city to a standstill.

 

Waterlogging was reported at several locations, including near the Akshardham Flyover, Sikandra Road and under Tilak Bridge near ITO. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (DDL) said electricity supply was temporarily cut in some areas of Delhi-NCR as a safety measure after trees and branches damaged electric cables. 

 

Impact on flight operations

 

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued an alert, warning of disruption to flight operations due to thunderstorms and poor weather conditions.

 

VIDEO | Heavy rainfall witnessed in parts of Delhi. Visuals from Raisina Road.  (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/uwL8t0tWpb

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 21, 2025

IndiGo posted on X that its flight schedules were affected by heavy rains and storms across Delhi, Chandigarh and Kolkata. India’s major carriers, including Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo, acknowledged the impact of the weather on their operations. IndiGo flight 6E 2142, en route to Srinagar from Delhi, encountered severe turbulence, resulting in damage to the aircraft’s nose.

Delhi Metro services hit

 

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation issued an advisory noting that the sudden windstorm disrupted services on the Red, Yellow and Pink Lines, especially near Shaheed Nagar, Jahangirpuri and Nizamuddin stations.

Today’s forecast: Hot, humid weather with cloudy sky

 

A day after the intense thunderstorm and heavy rain, Delhi is expected to witness partly cloudy skies with hot, humid conditions on May 22. The minimum temperature is likely to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius, while the maximum may hover between 35 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius. 

 

The Met department has issued a yellow alert for today and tomorrow, forecasting light rainfall.

Weather forecast for the week

 

Rain is expected to persist in the national capital throughout the week (May 20-25), according to the IMD forecast. Thunderstorms and rainfall have been predicted on most days, accompanied by strong surface winds. These conditions are expected to bring some relief from the heat, with maximum temperatures forecast to range between 39 degrees Celsius and 41 degrees Celsius.

 

The IMD has also stated that no heatwave conditions are likely during this week.

AQI remains ‘moderate’

 

Air quality in Delhi remained in the ‘moderate’ category on Thursday morning, after having deteriorated due to a massive dust storm across Delhi-NCR. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 140 at 8 am on 22 May, compared to 198 at the same time a day earlier.

 

The improvement in the air quality is due to the heavy rainfall that cleared the atmosphere of pollutants. 

 

Air quality also improved across the NCR, with the AQI remaining ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’ in most locations. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 213 at 4 pm on May 21. In Gurugram, the AQI dropped to 288, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 161 and 128, respectively, while Ghaziabad’s AQI stood at 137.

 

As per the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.