Delhi witnessed a sudden change in weather after dust storms followed by heavy rain across several parts of the national capital on Wednesday night providing the residents with the much-needed respite.

However, several trees were uprooted in different areas of the city due to the gusty wind ranging from 40-70 km per hour.

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After persistent summer heat and high humidity over the past few days, a massive dust storm signalled a change in the weather in Delhi-NCR.

IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) has issued a ‘red alert’ in several districts with predictions of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms, dust storms and gusty winds with speeds ranging from 40-79 km per hour. But as skies were overcast, heavy rain lashed several parts of the city while some areas also experienced hailstorms.

Although the strong winds battered several parts of Delhi-NCR, along with rain, they brought the much-needed relief from the scorching heat.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Airport issued an advisory to the citizens that due to inclement weather conditions flight operations might get impacted at the airport. It said the on-ground teams are working with all stakeholders to ensure seamless and efficient passenger experience. It requested the travellers to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.

The residents of the national capital woke up to a warm day as the temperature reached up to 40.7 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was 30.2 degrees Celsius, the highest for this summer, with no signs of drizzles.

Delhi falls back to the category of ‘poor’ again as the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 213.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast partly cloudy sky with the possibility of the development of lightning for Wednesday. For Thursday, it predicted partly cloudy weather.

The IMD also observed that the minimum temperature was the highest of the season, while the maximum was higher than usual at most locations in Delhi-NCR.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, AQI levels are classified as 0-50 as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderate, 201-300 as poor, 301-400 as very poor, and 401-500 as severe.

As of Wednesday, various areas in Delhi-NCR’s AQI readings are considerably better. According to the data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI at 4 PM in Gurugram was recorded at 288, while in Ghaziabad and Noida, it stood at 137 and 161, respectively.

The persistent pollution levels are likely to impact residents’ health and well-being, highlighting the importance of staying informed and taking necessary precautions.