New Delhi, March 19 -- Gusty winds of up to 68km/hour swept through Delhi on Wednesday evening, accompanied by short but intense spells of rain, disrupting flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport and bringing about a sharp drop in temperatures.

At least 22 flights were diverted till 9pm due to adverse weather, airport officials said, adding that strong wind shear made landings difficult. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed over 300 delays at the airport till 7.30pm.

The sudden change in weather was triggered by an active western disturbance impacting northwest India. While no rainfall was recorded till 6.30pm, conditions shifted rapidly thereafter, with winds reaching 68km/hour at Pragati Maidan and 6...