Two Die As Heavy Rain Lashes Delhi; Flights Delayed
Heavy rains lashed parts of Delhi on Monday with strong winds causing power outages at several places in the city.
Two men died in separate incidents as heavy rain and storm lashed the national capital on Monday, police said.
As many as 294 calls regarding uprooting of trees in various parts of the city were received till 8 p.m., they said.
In the first incident reported from Central Delhi's Jamia Masjid area, a 50-year-old man died after the a portion of balcony of his neigbhour's second floor property fell over him due to heavy rain and storm. The deceased, identified as Kailash, was a resident of Jama Masjid area, police said.
In another incident that took place in north Delhi's Angoori Bagh area, a 65-year-old homeless man, identified as Basir Baba, died after a peepal tree fell on him. He was declared brought dead at Trauma Centre, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi.
The change in weather brought much-needed respite to the residents who suffered under a sultry morning, and days of scorching heat. The rain was accompanied by roaring clouds and strong winds that swept the city at a speed of 50 km/hr.
The force of winds was such that several AC units at Express Building on the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg broke away and were on the verge of falling down.
A brief video showing the precariously dangling ACs at the building which houses several media firms was shared by a journalist on Twitter.
Delhi had recorded a minimum temperature of 27.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average, with the weather department predicting overcast conditions for the city on Monday.
The relative humidity at 8:30 a.m. was 63%. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 41 degrees Celsius. Parts of the national capital received light rain on Sunday evening with the maximum temperature settling at 40.7 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season.
Flights Delayed
At least five flights were diverted and 70 delayed at the Delhi airport due to a thunderstorm that struck the national capital on Monday afternoon, officials said.
The officials said at least 40 flight departures and 30 arrivals were delayed due to the thunderstorm.
Moreover, at least five arrivals were diverted due to the thunderstorm, they added.
The GMR Group-led Delhi Airport International Ltd., which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport, did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the matter.