Delhi woke up to a blanket of dust on Thursday morning after strong overnight winds triggered a dust storm, reducing visibility, affecting air quality, and disrupting daily life across the capital and its satellite cities. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), dust from northern Pakistan travelled through Punjab and Haryana to reach Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday night under the influence of strong lower-level westerly winds. PM10 level rose by nearly 145 per cent and was recorded at 337.6 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) at 3 pm while PM2.5 soared by over 200 per cent and read 196.1 µg/m3 at that point in time, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. At the same time on Wednesday, the PM10 level was 133.3 µg/m3 and PM 2.5 level 41.9 µg/m3. Delhis Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the poor category at 4 pm on Thursday with a reading of 292. It was first time in close to two weeks that the air quality dipped to this zone. The city had been breathing moderate quality air since April 29. The storm, which followed a spell of intense heat, reduced visibility and caused significant inconvenience to commuters, particularly office-goers navigating the early rush hour. The storms impact was felt across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Greater Noida, where residents reported disrupted commutes and worsening air quality. This is the second major dust storm to hit Delhi-NCR this year. A similar episode in April 2025 disrupted flight operations at IGI Airport and resulted in the tragic death of one person due to a wall collapse in Gurugram. Social media platforms were flooded with videos of dense dust swirling over highways, metro stations and arterial roads. Several areas experienced brief power outages, presumably due to dust-laden winds disrupting transmission lines. Visuals shared on X depicted iconic landmarks such as Kartavya Path near India Gate and the Akshardham area shrouded in dust, with swirling winds severely reducing visibility. The IMD had issued alerts for thunderstorms and strong winds, with gusts expected to reach 70–80 km/h. At 5:19 am, the IMD posted on X; Severe thunder, lightning, squally winds 70–80 kmph likely over Delhi during next 2 hours. The department also warned of moderate to intense spells of rainfall and thunderstorms likely to continue in Delhi, NCR and adjoining regions. The dust storm caused significant disruptions, particularly for office-goers, as visibility dropped and road conditions deteriorated. Authorities advised residents to take precautions, including staying hydrated, wearing light clothing and remaining indoors as much as possible. The IMD stated that the dust storms were triggered by gusty winds sweeping at speeds of 30–40 kmph. Visibility at IGI Airport dropped from 4,500 metres to 1,200 metres between 10 pm and 11:30 pm on Wednesday night following the dust storm. Since then, calm to weak wind conditions — ranging from 3 to 7 kmph —have prevailed, hindering the dispersion of dust particles. As a result, visibility continues to remain poor, fluctuating between 1,200 and 1,500 metres at both the Safdarjung and Palam airports, the IMD noted. Gurugram (121), Noida (113), Greater Noida (112), and Ghaziabad (107) also reported a dip in air quality, though they remained in the moderate zone. The IMD attributed the lingering dust to weak wind conditions following the storm, with speeds falling to a mere 3–7 kmph—insufficient to disperse suspended particles. Data from multiple pollution monitoring centres in the capital show PM10 and PM2.5 levels soaring to nearly 20 times the permissible limits. These fine particulate matters are considered hazardous to human health, especially for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions. In a surprising turn, several monitoring stations stopped displaying PM10 readings, raising concerns about their reliability. The decline in air quality following the dust storm has sparked political sparring in Delhi, with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming the situation was never this bad during its tenure, while the BJP accused AAP of using a natural phenomenon to gain political mileage. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on X that the air pollution situation had never been this bad at this time of year during AAPs governance. His comments were echoed by his successor and senior AAP leader Atishi, who also claimed that Delhis AQI has never been so high in May. Atishi derisively questioned whether Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa would take responsibility for the citys worsening air pollution. Sirsa responded, saying it was unfortunate that a former Chief Minister was using a natural weather event for political gain. He asserted that the real blame lies with the AAP, which he accused of neglecting critical issues during its 10-year rule in Delhi. Todays spike in AQI was due to a weather event, not misgovernance. But lets talk about real misgovernance, Atishi ji… For 10 years, AAP allowed Delhi to drown in mountains of untreated legacy waste and suffer from broken, dust-choked roads, with ZERO accountability on pollution the Environment Minister posted on X.

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