Heavy Rainfall, Heatwave Warning Issued For Several States By IMD After Dust Storm In Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for heavy rainfall and a heatwave after a massive dust storm hit Delhi-NCR and nearby areas on Friday.

The IMD has alerted states including West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Meghalaya , among others, about heavy rainfall in the coming days, while also issuing a heatwave warning for Punjab, Haryana , Rajasthan, and Gujarat .

This follows a major dust storm that blanketed the Delhi-NCR region on Friday evening. The IMD had issued a red alert for a dust storm in the national capital region as gusty winds lasted for a couple of hours and were later accompanied by rain in isolated places.

Strong winds originating from western disturbances uprooted many trees in Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad, which fell on vehicles, causing significant damage.

The impact of the dust storm was so severe that a billboard installed along the Dwarka Expressway fell onto the road, completely crushing a car. Similar incidents of falling electric poles were reported across Delhi-NCR. According to reports, at least one person died after the sudden dust storm hit the national capital region.

During the thunderstorm, many areas in Delhi-NCR experienced traffic jams as the sudden weather change lasted for several hours during peak evening time when people were leaving their offices.

Uprooted trees, fallen billboards, electric poles, and other obstructions, combined with low visibility caused by the dust storm, created significant trouble for citizens.

Several videos surfaced showing uprooted trees and fallen billboards, illustrating the extent of the damage and the inconvenience caused. The dust storm diverted as many as 15 flights and delayed several others due to massive drop in the visibility.

Meanwhile, the IMD has also issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms in several districts of Himachal Pradesh , including Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, and Hamirpur.

It has also issued a yellow alert for hailstorms in Banjar (Kullu), Sundernagar (Mandi), and some parts of Shimla district.