Delhi rain: A damaged car at KG Marg in central Delhi
Delhi residents have tweeted visuals of damage to property and uprooted trees in the wake of a hailstorm that battered the national capital earlier this evening. The hailstorm brought traffic to a standstill at many places, as the frozen pieces of ice hit windshields and motorcyclists.
The temperature fell sharply by 13 degree Celsius, according to readings at Palam observatory near the airport, and by 16 degree Celsius in south Delhi's Safdarjung. "Between 4.20 pm and 5.40 pm, the temperature fell from 40 degree Celsius to 25 degree Celsius at Safdarjung," the India Meteorological Department said.
The bright evening sky amid the intense heat wave, which has been keeping the city on a boil for the past few days, suddenly darkened around 4:20 pm as the thunderstorm accompanied by hail started.
A tree uprooted by strong winds and heavy rain in Delhi this evening (PTI)
Hemant Rajaura, a journalist, tweeted a photo of a red car whose front windshield was pierced by a large metal object towards the driver's side on a central Delhi road.
Saleem Ahmed of the Press Information Bureau tweeted a video of strong winds swaying trees.
Supreme Court lawyer Pallavi Pratap also tweeted a video of the hailstorm, saying some five trees appeared to have fallen on cars outside the new lawyers' chamber of the Supreme Court.
"Scene outside New Lawyer's Chamber, Supreme Court where at least 5 trees have fallen on cars. The storm was pretty bad here. Few former SCBA EC members and Elected Post Holders were seen rescuing and supporting," Ms Pratap tweeted.
The weather officer earlier today had forecast a thunderstorm with light- to moderate-intensity rain and gusty winds with speed up to 50 kmph.
The weather office also forecast rain in parts of Gurgaon, neighbouring Delhi.
Today's storm comes exactly a week after another big storm hit the national capital, uprooting trees and affecting flight operations.