Felt like a 20-minute earthquake: Delhi-NCR residents left shaken after sudden dust storm

New Delhi, April 12 — A sudden and intense dust storm swept across the Delhi-NCR region late Friday evening, leaving residents startled and the city blanketed in a cloud of dust and debris. The out-of-the-blue weather phenomenon, which lasted about 20 minutes, reduced visibility significantly, uprooted trees, and disrupted power in several locations. Ritesh Malhotra, a Noida resident, said, "It felt like a 20-minute earthquake." He described how windows rattled and things fell inside as strong winds howled outside. Videos depicting dramatic scenes of swaying electric poles, flying debris, and people caught off guard by the storm soon flooded social media. The sudden dust storm was brought on by a combination of high surface temperatures and strong westerly winds, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Wind gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour were recorded in parts of Delhi and Gurgaon. Although the IMD had previously issued a yellow alert for the region warning of light rain and gusty winds, the severity of the storm surprised many. Power outages were reported in a number of neighborhoods as a result of damaged overhead cables and fallen trees. On important roads like the Ring Road and NH-48, traffic was disrupted, and Metro services experienced brief delays as a result of operational safety checks. As minor injuries and property damage were reported from South Delhi, Dwarka, and Ghaziabad, emergency services were on high alert. Authorities advised residents to stay indoors and avoid parking vehicles under trees or unstable structures.

Concerns about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events have been raised by the fact that this is the second such dust storm to strike the capital in less than a month. Experts blame urban heat island effects and climate change for the growing degree of weather pattern instability. As the dust settled, clear skies returned overnight, but Delhiites remained shaken by the sudden ferocity of the storm. The weather is expected to be somewhat calmer in the coming days, with the possibility of light showers and a slight drop in temperature, according to the IMD.

New Delhi, April 12 — A sudden and intense dust storm swept across the Delhi-NCR region late Friday evening, leaving residents startled and the city blanketed in a cloud of dust and debris. The unexpected weather event, which lasted for about 20 minutes, caused a significant drop in visibility, uprooted trees, and disrupted power in several areas.

"It felt like a 20-minute earthquake," said Ritesh Malhotra, a resident of Noida, describing how windows rattled and objects tumbled indoors as fierce winds howled outside. Social media was soon flooded with videos showing dramatic scenes of swaying electric poles, flying debris, and people caught off guard by the storm.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the sudden dust storm was triggered by a combination of high surface temperatures and strong westerly winds. Gusts of wind reaching up to 70 km/h were recorded in parts of Delhi and Gurgaon. The IMD had earlier issued a yellow alert for the region, warning of gusty winds and light rain, but the severity of the storm caught many by surprise.

Several neighborhoods reported power outages due to fallen trees and damage to overhead cables. Traffic was disrupted on key roads like the Ring Road and NH-48, and Metro services experienced brief delays due to operational safety checks.

Emergency services were on alert as minor injuries and property damage were reported from areas such as South Delhi, Dwarka, and Ghaziabad. Authorities advised residents to stay indoors and avoid parking vehicles under trees or unstable structures.

This is the second such dust storm to hit the capital in less than a month, raising concerns about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Experts point to climate change and urban heat island effects as contributing factors to the rising instability in weather patterns.

As the dust settled, clear skies returned overnight, but Delhiites remained shaken by the sudden ferocity of the storm. The IMD forecasts relatively calmer weather in the coming days, with a possibility of light showers and a slight dip in temperature.