NEW DELHI: A strong dust storm with extremely fast-moving winds lashed the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert for extreme weather conditions immediately. It has been predicted that the emergency alert issued for the capital region will be valid for at least three hours.
According to the meteorology department, strong squally winds that can move up to 100 km per hour will strike some parts of Delhi NCR, following which heavy thunderstorms, lightning, and rain will occur in the city within minutes.
It all began at about 2:30 PM today when the IMD issued immediate alerts for Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Following minutes after the alerts, extremely fast-moving winds with huge amounts of dust clouds blocked the city of Delhi, leaving no choice but to make visibility go extremely low in residential areas and important highways.
Fortunately, the dramatic change in weather has provided an immediate respite from the oppressive pre-monsoon heat wave that has been ongoing for over a week in northern India. Meteorologists observed that several days of abnormally high temperatures had created significant buildup of thermal energy in the lower layers of the atmosphere – the perfect fuel for a sudden convective storm.
Storm mechanics: What caused the enormous cloud of dust?
According to meteorologists in the region, the severe weather event was the result of a classic pre-monsoon weather pattern:
Excessive surface heating: Abnormally hot summer weather across northwest India resulted in the formation of an extremely unstable pocket of low pressure near the Earth’s surface.
Influx of cooler air: With an approaching western weather disturbance injecting cooler air into the region, it forced the trapped, superheated surface air to rise.
Creation of a downdraft: The sudden rapid ascent of the air column generated the instantaneous formation of huge cumulonimbus clouds. Intense downdrafts associated with these storm clouds crashed against the dry land, whipping up dirt from the surface and creating the giant cloud of dust.
However, the meteorologists have noted that such storms are common weather occurrences as the area transitions from peak summer ahead of the arrival of the southwest monsoon season.
Multi-state alerts – Affected zones in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan.The weather agency has expanded its high priority alerts beyond Delhi to include the following affected zones within neighboring states:
State high alert zones
Haryana Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, and Charkhi Dadri
Uttar Pradesh Bagpat, Khekra, Pilakhua, and Sikandrabad
Rajasthan Alwar, Bhiwadi, Tijara, and Deeg
