Heavy rain, strong winds lash Delhi; over 100 flights delayed

Torrential rain and fierce winds battered the national capital on Friday morning, claiming four lives in a house collapse, throwing air traffic into disarray, and leaving several parts of the city waterlogged.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi, warning of more extreme weather. In the early hours, thunderstorms with wind speeds up to 80 kmph uprooted trees, snapped power lines, and brought traffic to a crawl. Visuals from across the city showed submerged vehicles and stranded commuters.

In one of the most tragic incidents, three children and a woman were killed when a house crumbled in Kharkari Nahar village, Najafgarh, following the deluge.

“We received a call at 5:25 am regarding the house collapse. Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the site. Four individuals were pulled from the rubble and taken to a nearby hospital where they were declared dead,” a Delhi Fire Services official said. Police have been informed, he added.

Major areas including Minto Road, RK Puram’s Major Somnath Marg, and Khanpur were among the worst hit, with knee-deep water reported in several low-lying stretches. One viral video showed a car nearly submerged on Minto Road.

The Safdarjung weather station, Delhi’s primary observatory, recorded 77 mm of rainfall in three hours. Lodhi Road saw 78 mm, Palam 30 mm, Pitampura 32 mm, and Najafgarh 19.5 mm.

The storm also disrupted flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) posted on X (formerly Twitter) around 5:20 am, notifying passengers of delays due to inclement weather. By 7:25 am, DIAL confirmed the thunderstorm had passed but flight operations continued to be affected.

At least three flights were diverted—two to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad—and more than 100 were delayed, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24.

The IMD has forecast more moderate to heavy rain across Delhi-NCR, with wind gusts expected to range between 70–80 kmph. Light rain may continue in adjoining regions.

Residents have been advised to stay indoors, avoid taking shelter under trees, unplug electronic devices, and keep away from open water bodies. The IMD also cautioned that hailstorms could cause injuries to people and animals in open areas, and warned of damage to standing crops, weak structures, and power lines.

As Delhi grapples with the aftermath of the morning deluge, authorities remain on high alert, with rescue and relief efforts underway in the worst-affected areas.

(With inputs from PTI)