Heavy rain, thunderstorm hit Delhi, flight operations affected

IMD predicted that thundershower with moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 60-90 Km/h would continue to occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR during the next two hours.

New Delhi: Thunderstorms and rains accompanied by gusty winds affected the flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday. As the national capital received a sudden dip in temperature with thunderstorms and rains on Monday, all departures and arrivals and their consequential flights have been affected due to inclement weather. Airlines have also requested passengers to check on their flight status before heading to the airport as the flight operations have been kept on hold.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said thundershowers with moderate rainfall will continue over Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) for the "next two hours". "Dust storms and thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with a speed of 50-80 km per hour are very likely to continue over Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas during the next two hours," IMD tweeted.

Raktim Roy, who posted a picture of the airport from inside his flight stranded on the runway," waiting for the flight to take off, but the intense Delhi weather is creating havoc. Wide angle view of the airport from my phone," he tweeted. The number of affected flights was likely to rise throughout the day as the thunderstorms continue, which will create problems for passengers waiting for their flights.

Another passenger, Vikas Wadhawan complained of no information on the delayed flight and tweeted a picture of the airport area informing the pathetic condition of Delhi Airport Terminal 3. "No information of flight status on screens and gates are packed with people due to this ambiguity. Provide updated information so that people can relax in the lounge," Wadhawan urged the airlines to provide advance information about the flights to the passengers.

"Due to bad weather, flight operations at Delhi airport are affected. Passengers are requested to get in touch with the airline concerned for updated flight information," Delhi Airport tweeted. In a reply to the Delhi airport message, Vikas Wadhawan tweeted, "For your information, this link is not showing updated information of flights and their status. Airlines also have no clue. I can understand that you guys have no control over the weather but you can definitely provide information to passengers so that they are not standing in front of gates."

With Agency inputs