A sudden hailstorm in Delhi disrupted flight operations, causing over 500 delays, diversions and cancellations linked to weather and external factors
Air traffic at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was thrown into disarray on Tuesday after a sudden spell of heavy rain and hail swept across parts of the city, leading to widespread delays, diversions and cancellations. The disruption was compounded by cancellations linked to developments in West Asia, affecting several scheduled flights.
Parts of the city, including Dwarka, Palam and Najafgarh, experienced showers accompanied by hail after noon. The conditions led to operational challenges at the
airport, with gusty winds affecting aircraft movement.
Visuals of a thunderstorm in Delhi NCR surfaced on X.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Thunderstorm and hailstorm hit parts of Delhi-NCR. Visuals from Ghaziabad. pic.twitter.com/jii8XfuIGd
— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2026
VIDEO | Hail, thunderstorm hit parts of Delhi; rain brings relief from heat.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)#Delhi pic.twitter.com/TJOKalxQdx
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 5, 2026
Over 500 flights delayed
Data showed that more than 500
flights, both arrivals and departures, were delayed, with an average delay of around 30 minutes. At least 10 flights were cancelled and five diverted to nearby airports.
Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 reflected the scale of disruption, showing delays across several services during the day.
Cancellations linked to West Asia developments
In addition to weather-related delays, cancellations were also reported for flights to and from West Asia following a recent drone-linked attack in the region.
The airport issued a public advisory on X, urging passengers to check their flight schedules. “Flight operations may be impacted due to a hailstorm near Delhi airport, which could result in delays or short-term disruptions,” it said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said no colour-coded alert has been issued for Wednesday, but thundery activity is likely towards the evening due to a prevailing western disturbance.
The disturbance is expected to withdraw by Thursday, after which temperatures are set to rise. The maximum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 33.6°C, six degrees above normal, compared to 32.4°C on Monday.
Rainfall data showed 4.6mm at Safdarjung till 8.30am, with trace rainfall later. Palam recorded 9.8mm till 5.30pm after trace rainfall earlier, while Najafgarh logged 6.5mm in the same period.
The minimum temperature stood at 19.6°C, five degrees below normal, and is expected to rise gradually, potentially reaching 27°C by the weekend.
First Published:
May 06, 2026, 07:35 IST
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