Explained: Why There Is Sudden Dust Storm In Delhi?

The India Meteorological Department said that strong winds swept across Delhi on Tuesday morning, raising dust and affecting air quality as well as reducing visibility to 1,000 metres.

A thick layer of dust covered large parts of northwest India, the satellite pictures released by the meteorological office showed.

Senior IMD scientist RK Jenamani told the PTI that the visibility levels at the Palam Observatory stood at 1,100 metres at 9 am as compared to 4,000 metres at 9 am on Monday.

🌪️🌫️ #Delhi is witnessing an unexpected #DustStorm & #Smog, turning the sky an eerie pale orange hue.Air quality taken a hit, affecting health of people. Stay indoors & take necessary precautions to protect your lungs and overall well-being. #AirQuality #StaySafe 🏡🌬️😷 pic.twitter.com/wQpvoukZj1

— Saharsh Damani, MBA, CFA, MS (Finance) (@saharshd) May 16, 2023

Why thick layer of dust covered large parts of northwest India?

The dust storm in Delhi is attributed to the prevailing cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan. This cyclonic circulation has resulted in dust storms and light rain activities occurring in North Rajasthan.

Delhi Dust Storm:
A yellowish haze enveloped #Delhi , as strong dust-raising winds, gusting up to 22 kilometers per hour, swept the city. Difficult for the citizens to breathe!!!! #Duststorm@IMDWeather #Delhipollution pic.twitter.com/d24TWHLuPi

— The Environment (@theEcoglobal) May 16, 2023

Meteorologists claim that intense heat in northwest India in the last five days, dry soil resulting from the lack of rainfall, and persistent strong winds since midnight are causing dust storm.

However, dust will settle down soon, V K Soni, the head of the IMD's Environment Monitoring and Research Centre, told PTI. "Dust concentration has gone up multiple times. The PM10 concentration rose from 140 micrograms per cubic metre at 4 am to 775 micrograms per cubic metre at 8 am. It is mainly because of strong gusty winds prevailing over the area. Dust will settle down soon," he stated.

Layer of Dust suspended in environment#noida #Ghaziabad #delhi #delhincr #duststorm pic.twitter.com/Utn2BdEuno

— Harsh Saxena (@Harshs404) May 16, 2023

Health Implications

Inhaling dust particles, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), can deeply infiltrate the respiratory system. These particles have the potential to irritate the lungs, induce respiratory issues, and worsen pre-existing conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.