A Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi, with more than 200 passengers on board, experienced strong turbulence as it navigated through an unexpected hailstorm that damaged a small portion of the aircraft’s nose on Wednesday.
In a viral video from inside Indigo flight 6E2142, passengers and children can be heard screaming and crying in distress as the aircraft shakes violently after getting caught in the storm. The lightning flashes could be seen through the airplane videos.
According to officials, the turbulent weather midair prompted the pilot to report an “emergency” to the Air Traffic Control in Srinagar. The flight, with 227 passengers, later landed safely at 6.30pm.
I had a narrow escape while flying from Delhi to Srinagar. Flight number #6E2142. Hats off to the captain for the safe landing.@IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/tNEKwGOT4q
— Sheikh Samiullah (@_iamsamiullah) May 21, 2025
“IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar,” the airline said in a statement.
“The airport team attended to the customers after arrival of aircraft prioritizing their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance,” it added.
The airline did not specify any damages but a viral image on social media showed that a portion of the aircraft’s nose was broken due to the impact of the turbulence. The damage was confirmed by NDTV.
The Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo aircraft suffered a damage in the hail storm.
A hailstorm accompanied by heavy rain with wind speed of 79 kmph lashed Delhi-NCR late Wednesday evening, causing tree felling, waterlogging and traffic jams in several areas, after the city endured a hot and humid day.
In the three hours between 5.30pm and 8.3pm, Safdarjung recorded 12.2 mm of rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Nehru Vihar Bridge in Delhi was damaged in the storm.
Flight operations were hit at the Delhi airport, while Metro passengers on the Yellow Line were stranded for hours. Airlines issued advisories, saying the change in weather might impact flight operations.
Gusty winds also swept over neighbouring Noida, leaving several windows shattered and hoardings damaged.
Heavy rain, hail, and powerful winds battered several parts of Delhi and NCR region.
Photo Credit: IANS
The IMD said a cyclonic circulation over Haryana and its neighbouring areas, embedded in an east-west trough extending from Punjab to Bangladesh in the lower tropospheric levels, is influencing the weather. Moisture is feeding into the system from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, it added.
The weather shift came hours after the Capital experienced sweltering conditions, with the heat index – or the “feels like” temperature – soaring to 50.2 degrees Celsius, owing to a mix of high humidity and intense sunshine.
The maximum temperature on Wednesday touched 40.7 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above normal, while humidity levels oscillated between 64 and 34 per cent, the weather body said.
