Dust storms, rain lash Delhi-NCR for third day; trees uprooted, infrastructure damaged

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Dust storms and strong winds swept across Delhi and adjoining NCR cities such as Noida and Ghaziabad on Saturday, marking the third consecutive day of turbulent weather in the region. The sudden and intense weather activity uprooted trees, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted traffic in several areas.

In Noida, heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds caused significant damage. Trees were uprooted in multiple sectors, with some falling on parked vehicles.

At Ashok Nagar station, the shed of the Rapid Rail Metro suffered structural damage. A traffic light pole also collapsed near DM Chowk during the storm.

Delhi was not spared either. In Connaught Place, a tree was uprooted near PVR Plaza, falling on several vehicles following a spell of heavy thunderstorms and rain.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted thunderstorms and rain for Delhi on Saturday, with maximum temperatures expected at around 42 degrees Celsius.

Around 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, the IMD issued an alert stating that a dust storm followed by a thunderstorm with light to moderate rainfall and lightning was very likely to occur across Delhi and the NCR within two hours. Gusty winds with speeds of 40 to 60 kmph were forecast.

The national capital has been under the influence of a sustained weather disturbance since Thursday. The IMD attributed the dusty conditions to dust advected from North Pakistan, moving towards Delhi-NCR via Punjab and Haryana under the influence of strong lower-level westerly winds.

Friday also saw similar conditions, with rain and thunderstorms under cloudy skies reported in areas such as Narela, Bawana, Rohini, Burari, Karawal Nagar, Safdarjung, and Lodhi Road.

Gusty winds reached speeds of up to 60 kmph, and rainfall was recorded across the city -- 1.4 mm at Safdarjung, 7.2 mm at Aya Nagar, and 3 mm at Ridge.

Despite the rainfall, temperatures remained high, with Delhi recording a maximum of 42.3 degrees Celsius. Aya Nagar peaked at 44 degrees Celsius, followed by Palam at 43.3 degrees Celsius and Ridge at 43.2 degrees Celsius.

The dust-laden winds also led to a sharp rise in pollution levels. In response, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) reimposed Stage-I measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the NCR on Friday, following a spike in the AQI on May 15.

--IANS

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