New Delhi: A powerful thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rainfall swept through Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) late Saturday night, causing significant disruptions across the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert, warning of severe weather conditions, including thunderstorms, gusty winds, and heavy rain.

The Safdarjung observatory recorded 81.4 mm of rainfall between 11:30 PM and 5:30 AM, marking one of the heaviest downpours in recent times. Wind speeds reached up to 82 km/h, leading to uprooted trees and damage to temporary structures.

Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport were severely affected. Between 11:30 PM and 4:00 AM, 49 flights, including 17 international ones, were diverted due to adverse weather conditions. Additionally, a section of the roof at Terminal 1 collapsed under the pressure of accumulated rainwater.

Several areas, including Minto Road, Delhi Cantonment, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, experienced severe waterlogging. A car was seen fully submerged at the infamous Minto bridge near Connaught Place, reminiscent of past incidents at this flood-prone spot.

The sudden downpour brought a significant drop in temperatures, with readings falling by 8 to 10 degrees Celsius within 90 minutes. At Safdarjung, temperatures plummeted from 31°C to 21°C between 1:15 AM and 2:30 AM.

IMD attributed the intense weather activity to the interaction of moisture-laden easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal and southwesterlies from the Arabian Sea with mid-level dry westerlies. This combination, along with existing weather systems like a Western Disturbance over north Punjab and cyclonic circulations over northwest Uttar Pradesh and West Rajasthan, contributed to the severe thunderstorm.