People in the national capital woke up to a layer of dust engulfing parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday morning, reducing visibility and leading to a dip in the air quality. Air quality remained in ‘poor’ category, with AQI of 236 at 8 am, as per Central Pollution Control Board.

The dust storms on Wednesday were triggered by gusty winds sweeping at speeds of 30 to 40 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Visibility had fallen from 4,500 metre to 1,200 metre at IGI airport from 10 pm to 11.30 pm on Wednesday night after the dust storm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a partly cloudy sky for the day, with temperatures expected to range between 24°C and 42°C.

According to the IMD, sustained surface winds of 15–25 kmph, occasionally gusting up to 35 kmph, are likely throughout the day.

IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms across Northeast India during next five days. Impacted areas include Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura.

Heavy winds are also forecast over parts of West, East and Central India. Impacted areas include Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim over the next 5 days.

Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during May 15-17th. Humid conditions are also expected in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Puducherry.