A sudden dust storm followed by rainfall swept across Delhi and adjoining NCR areas on Friday evening, disrupting daily life for the second day in a row and significantly worsening air quality in the region.
The storm, accompanied by gusty winds, lowered visibility, caused traffic disruptions, and pushed pollution levels into the ‘Poor’ category, prompting urgent action from authorities.
Rain, accompanied by a light thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds with a speed of 30 to 60 kilometres per hour, was reported from several areas, including Narela, Bawana, Burari, Rohini, Karawal Nagar, Delhi University, Mundka,
Punjabi Bagh, Kashmiri Gate, Buddha Jayanti Park, ITO, Jafarpur, Najafgarh, Delhi Cantonment, Safdarjung, Lodi Road and parts of the National Capital Region (NCR).
The city’s primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded 1.4 mm of rainfall between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The rainfall recorded at other stations included 7.2 mm at Aya Nagar, 3 mm at Ridge, 2.5 mm at Pusa and 2 mm at Pitampura.
“Southeastward-moving convection currently over Rohtak is likely to continue moving towards southeast Delhi and cause rainfall accompanied by winds of 40–50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, over many parts of the city,” the IMD said.
IMD has forecast the possibility of more dust storms over the next five days and issued a yellow alert from May 18 to May 20, warning residents to prepare for disruptions due to thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds.
“Light to moderate rainfall accompanied with light thunderstorms and lightning (30-40 km/h gusty winds) is very likely to occur at isolated places of Delhi-NCR during the next 2 hours,” IMD said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The dramatic weather brought temporary relief from the scorching heat, with visuals circulating on social media showing heavy rain lashing parts of the city, waterlogged roads, and traffic jams. However, the dust storm also caused a sharp and sudden spike in air pollution levels. The maximum temperature in the capital was recorded at 42.3 degrees celsius, 1.9 notches above normal.
Stations like Aya Nagar recorded a high of 44 degrees Celsius, Palam 43.3 degrees Celsius and Ridge 43.2 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department. The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.2 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degree below normal. As the air pollution level rises, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage-I restrictions under the Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi and NCR. A 27-point action plan has been activated to prevent further decline in air quality and to manage dust and pollution sources effectively. The measures in the 27- point action point include dust control at construction sites, ban on open waste burning, intensified road cleaning and water sprinkling, stricter emission checks for vehicles, and ensuring the use of clean fuels in restaurants and industries.
Citizens have also been urged to follow the Stage-I Citizen Charter, which includes steps like keeping vehicle engines tuned, using public transport or EVs, and reporting polluting activities via mobile apps like Green Delhi, SAMEER, and 311.
The weather-related disruption also triggered a political spat between the BJP and AAP, with both sides accusing each other of failing to address Delhi’s long-standing air pollution issues. Meanwhile, experts noted that this episode highlights the growing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change and the urgent need to strengthen urban resilience mechanisms.
