NEW DELHI: The moderate intensity of thunderstorm accompanied by rain and squall with the wind speed touching 70kmph affected flight operations for over three hours at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday. Over 100 flights were delayed and 20 diverted, causing inconvenience to hundreds of passengers.
R K Jenamani, senior scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD), said that among all weather hazards, thunderstorm caused the highest threat to aviation across the world. The maximum impact was felt between 6am and 7.30am due to the changing wind pattern, stated IMD. “Before the thunderstorm, the wind direction was easterly, but there was cross-wind during the thunderstorm as it changed to north-easterly, then to easterly. The wind speed was mostly at 50-60kmph and even touched 70kmph at 7am. The situation normalised around 8am,” said Jenamani. The Delhi airport also recorded 27.6mm rainfall till 8.30am on Monday.
Jenamani added, “May and June are known for moderate thunderstorms causing diversion of flights. In May 2018, around 70 Delhi-bound flights were diverted, which was the highest impact of thunderstorm in summer in the past 20 years.”
Of the 20 flights diverted, 13 were sent to Jaipur, two each to Amritsar and Lucknow, and one each to Indore, Mumbai and Ahmedabad between 6.45am and 9am, according to airport sources. However, no flight was cancelled. The delay in flights resulted in slowing down of the boarding process too. Many flyers took to social media to highlight their problems due to the delay. “Hello @IndiGo6E 5328 We were supposed to fly at 9.35am. It has been 40 minutes now. Sitting inside the aircraft. No update. @DelhiAirport @AAI_Official,” filmmaker Vinod Kapri tweeted. His flight finally took off at 10.59am.
