Power Cuts, Traffic Jams, Toppled Hoardings As Storm Hits Delhi-Noida

A massive storm, followed by rain, hit Delhi and Noida this evening, disrupting traffic and leading to waterlogging and power cuts in several areas. Hoardings fell and trees were uprooted in many localities, with some areas reporting wind speeds of up to 79 kmph. Airlines also issued advisories, saying the change in weather might impact flight operations and several Metro passengers were stranded for hours. Gusty winds swept over the capital city and Noida, leaving shattered windows and damaged hoardings in their wake. Near the Lodhi Road flyover, an electric pole fell on a person, causing his death. The man was crossing the area when the pole fell on him.

A hailstorm in Delhi's Lodi Road, and 79 kmph wind was reported over Safdarjung. Visuals showed trees swaying violently due to strong winds. A road signboard in Noida fell on a few motorcycles parked below. Another board, which said 'Welcome to Noida', on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway also fell.

Even as the pre-monsoon showers came as a relief to people in the searing heat, many trees and hoardings in the national capital toppled due to the storm, inconveniencing people. 

Waterlogging was witnessed in several areas, including near the Akshardham Flyover, Sikandra Road, and under Tilak Bridge near ITO, and a billboard fell on Vikas Marg near the Laxmi Nagar red light intersection, reported news agency PTI.

A video shot by a passenger showed a mid-air plane during turbulence. The video, shot by Sheikh Samiullah, co-founder of a startup, showed the seats of the Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight shaking amid turbulent weather. The plane later landed in Srinagar with a damaged nose.

I had a narrow escape while flying from Delhi to Srinagar. Flight number #6E2142. Hats off to the captain for the safe landing.@IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/tNEKwGOT4q

— Sheikh Samiullah (@_iamsamiullah) May 21, 2025

Metro Services Hit, Airlines Issue Advisory

In a post on X, the Delhi airport said flight operations might be impacted due to the inclement weather, advising passengers to contact the concerned airlines for an updated flight schedule.

Passenger Advisory issued at 20:29 Hours#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory #BadWeather pic.twitter.com/WrQYP42x6b

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) May 21, 2025

In separate advisories, Air India and IndiGo advised passengers to check their flight status before reaching the airport.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Heavy rain and thunderstorm in #Delhi, #Chandigarh and #Kolkata is impacting flights. We understand weather delays are never easy, we sincerely appreciate your patience. Do check your flight status before heading to the airport https://t.co/IEBbuCsa3e pic.twitter.com/MSO8qLlIEw

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) May 21, 2025

#TravelAdvisory

Rain and thunderstorms may disrupt flights to/from Delhi this evening.

Please check your flight status here https://t.co/5vemTROi62 before heading to the airport and allow extra time for your journey.

— Air India (@airindia) May 21, 2025

Metro services were also hampered in some areas, with the Delhi Metro saying, "external objects fell onto metro tracks at certain locations".

What's Behind The Change In Weather

A cyclonic circulation over Haryana and its neighbouring areas, embedded in an east-west trough extending from Punjab to Bangladesh in the lower tropospheric levels, influenced the weather, said the weather department. Moisture is feeding into the system from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, it added.

The storm came even as Delhi experienced scorching heat and high humidity, with temperatures soaring to 50.2 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday touched 40.7 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above normal, while humidity levels oscillated between 64 and 34 per cent, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD).