Dust Storm and Rain Hit Delhi-NCR; IMD Issues Yellow Alert Until May 20

Dust Storm and Rain Hit Delhi-NCR: On Thursday morning, a sudden dust storm rolled through Delhi-NCR, covering the area and covering it with a thick layer of dust, and disrupting normal day-to-day life across the capital city and surrounding cities. The storm came after hot conditions, causing visibility to drop with other inconvenience to commuters across the area, especially office workers that were travelling to work in the early morning rush.

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Impact was widely felt across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida much to the complaints of very poor commutes and very bad air quality, as reported by the Business Standard. Images shared by PTI on their X account showed various iconic locations like Kartavya Path near India Gate and the Akshardham area buried in the clouds, while strong gusting winds whipped up the dust causing low visibility across the area.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had alerts for thunderstorms in the area, with severe winds of 70–80 km/h expected. The IMD posted at 5.19 am on X, "Severe thunder lightning squally winds 70-80kmph likely over Delhi during next 2 hours". In addition, the forecast warned of moderate to intense spells of rainfall, with thunderstorms likely to continue in Delhi, NCR and adjacent regions.

A similar situation occurred in April 2025 when a heavy dust storm with rain created serious disruptions, including diverting 15 flights as well as the death of one person due to a collapsing wall.

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The dust storm caused issues mostly to those traveling by office, with visibility problems, road closures and the potential for exposure to hazardous dust levels. The report by India TV mentions that the government advised residents to take precautions, including drinking plenty of water, wearing loose clothing, and staying indoors, when possible.

Residents are advised to take decisions regarding adjusting their behavior in these weather events, such as staying indoors, drinking plenty of water, and limiting unnecessary travel. The IMD is fully monitoring the storms and will issue advisories if and when it is necessary.

The dust storm has changed the quality of air in delhi with the AQI falling into a poor category after the last few weeks of moderately trending AQI readings.

According the Central Pollution Control Board the AQI was reported at 236 in the poor category at 8am.

The category range of air quality index is as follows: 0-50 indicates 'good'; 51-100 indicates satisfactory; 101-200 indicates moderate; 201-300 indicates poor; 301-400 indicates very poor; and 401-500 indicates severe.

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