A massive dust storm, known locally as an aandhi, is barrelling towards Delhi-NCR from the west. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, warning residents to brace for severely reduced visibility, gusty winds, and a sharp dip in air quality over the next several hours.
If the sky above you turns an eerie orange-brown this evening, there is no need to panic, as the phenomenon is entirely driven by weather patterns. The Thar Desert in Rajasthan essentially acts as a giant, sun-baked powder keg at this time of year. Temperatures there routinely touch 44 to 45 degrees Celsius in May, baking the soil until it is bone dry and leaving the tiniest grains of sand, silt, and dust loose on the surface. When powerful thunderstorm clouds build up in the atmosphere, they unleash strong downward bursts of cold air called downdrafts. These hit the scorching ground like a fist, pushing outward in every direction at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. As these winds race across the desert floor, they scoop up enormous quantities of loose soil and hurl it skyward, creating the towering brown wall.
Northwest India sits directly in the path between Rajasthan and the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Pre-monsoon westerly winds act like a conveyor belt, carrying this dust straight through Haryana, into Delhi, and beyond into Uttar Pradesh. The brunt of the storm is expected to hit between 10 pm and 12 am.
These storms send PM10 and PM2.5 levels — the tiny airborne particles that damage the lungs — soaring within minutes, which means the Air Quality Index (AQI) will deteriorate significantly. Anyone with asthma, allergies, or heart conditions should stay indoors, keep all windows firmly shut, and wear a mask if stepping outside is absolutely unavoidable. While temperatures may briefly drop by four to five degrees once the storm arrives, the relief will be short-lived, though the entire system is expected to ease by midnight.
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