Strong wind conditions witnessed in Noida as a dust storm appeared to be developing. (Photo/Arawat Kumar)
A sudden dust storm hit Delhi NCR on Friday evening, taking people by surprise. The IMD had, however, forecasted partly cloudy skies and gusty winds in the city earlier today.
A few flights were diverted due to the dust storm, sources at the IGI Airport said. The dust storm hit Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad. According to the Safdarjung Observatory, a dust storm with a wind speed of up to 40 kmph hit the national capital.
It brought the maximum temperature down from 42 degrees Celsius at 8:30 pm to 35 degree Celsius at 9 pm. The weatherman forecast another dust storm in the city tomorrow.
According to airport sources, the dust storm caused diversion of three flights, including a Delhi-bound Indigo flight from Chennai, which was re-routed to Lucknow. Airlines such as Jet Airways and Vistara took to Twitter to announce delays in arrivals and departures due to air-traffic congestion in Delhi due to the adverse weather.
(with PTI inputs)