IMD issues orange alert; winds 98 kmph

The India Meteorological Department upgraded Delhi from a yellow alert to an orange alert on May 13 after thunderstorms, rain and hail moved across the capital and nearby cities, according to the agency’s Delhi forecast pages and reports citing IMD officials. The orange alert covered multiple parts of Delhi with warnings for light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, lightning and hail as conditions worsened through Wednesday evening. Wind gusts reached 98 kmph in parts of Delhi on May 13, according to reports citing IMD data, and the weather shift cut temperatures by about 10 degrees Celsius after a hot day. The Indian Express reported that the storm brought lightning, rain and strong winds across parts of the city, while the Times of India also reported gusts up to 98 kmph and a 10-degree drop in mercury. (mausam.imd.gov.in) Delhi’s airport operations were disrupted on May 13 as the storm moved through the region. NDTV reported that at least 15 flights were diverted from Delhi to Jaipur, Chandigarh and Lucknow, while Delhi International Airport Limited said operations remained normal but advised passengers to consider the Delhi Metro and check live flight status because of weather-related delays. (indianexpress.com) IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet issued travel advisories on May 13 warning passengers that bad weather in Delhi could affect arrivals and departures. IndiGo said extended wait times were possible, and Air India told passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport. The Indian Express reported those advisories as rain, hail and strong winds reduced visibility and slowed movement in parts of the city, including areas near the airport. (ndtv.com) The IMD’s warning language matters because a yellow alert signals that people should stay updated, while an orange alert is a higher warning level that calls for preparedness as weather conditions become more severe. In this case, reports citing IMD said the orange alert warned of thunderstorms, lightning, hail and winds of 40-50 kmph gusting up to 60 kmph across central, east, northeast, northwest, south, southeast, southwest and west Delhi, even as some station reports later showed stronger local gusts. (ndtv.com) Delhi’s official IMD forecast pages for May 14 showed the warning system and city observations still active across stations in Delhi-NCR, including Safdarjung, Palam and Ayanagar. The districtwise nowcast and city forecast pages remain the main public sources for updated alerts, station readings and short-term warnings for Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad. (ndtv.com) May 14 is the next checkpoint for residents and travelers because IMD’s Delhi forecast and districtwise nowcast pages continue to publish updated warnings by date, while airlines and Delhi Airport are issuing operational advisories as conditions change. Passengers heading to Indira Gandhi International Airport can monitor airline status updates and airport advisories alongside IMD’s Delhi-NCR forecast pages. (mausam.imd.gov.in)