Strong Dust Storm Hits Delhi-NCR; IMD Issues Red Alert As Heatwave Persists

A powerful dust storm swept through Delhi and its surrounding regions, including Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, on the evening of Friday, April 11. This came just a day after moderate rain and another dust storm affected the area amid a heatwave that had pushed temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for all districts in Delhi in its evening nowcast due to the intensity of the dust storm. Parts of Noida, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), and Gurugram (Haryana) were also impacted, with reports of power outages in certain localities. In Delhi, falling tree branches were reported in a few areas, though no major damage was immediately confirmed.

Earlier in the day, the city had experienced a cloudy morning. The IMD had forecast light rainfall and thunderstorms throughout the day. Overnight drizzle brought some relief from the heat, with the minimum temperature recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius-1.8 degrees above normal.

Rainfall measurements over the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am showed 5.0 mm of rain in Mayur Vihar and 1.0 mm in Pritampura, while the Safdarjung weather station reported only trace rainfall. The relative humidity at 8:30 am stood at 68%.

Friday's moderate rainfall helped lower daytime temperatures, providing a brief respite from the ongoing heatwave. The maximum temperature for the day was expected to hover around 37 degrees Celsius.

Earlier in the week, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40 degrees Celsius on Monday-the highest of the season so far-marking the onset of a three-day heatwave. On Wednesday, the city experienced its warmest night in three years, with the minimum temperature rising to 25.9 degrees Celsius.

At 9:00 am on Friday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 172, placing it in the 'moderate' category.