Phones rang several times across Delhi and neighboring areas, from Thursday evening until the early hours of Friday morning, with emergency warnings of a severe thunderstorm, along with lightning, heavy rain and strong winds in several parts of the National Capital Region.
Rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds lashed parts of Delhi on Thursday evening and continued into the early hours of the morning, offering little respite from the sweltering heat and humidity witnessed during the day.
As alerts from the government’s emergency warning system appeared on mobile phones, many people shared their reactions on social media, raising concerns about the loud notification sounds. This warning is part of the center’s efforts to improve emergency communications during disasters, emergencies and severe weather events.
What was the alert?
Residents in Delhi, along with those in Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, have received repeated weather warnings from Thursday night onwards, warning them of severe thunderstorms, lightning and moderate to heavy rain.
One alert titled ‘Extremely Severe Alerts’ said, ‘Severe thunderstorm (wind speed 70-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph or more) with lightning, moderate to severe rain spell and hail is very likely to occur at a few places over Agra, Aligarh, Baghpat, Bijnor, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Hathras, Mathura, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Shamli during the next three hours. (like this).”
Netizens warn of ‘extreme red alert’.
The alerts were reportedly sent to smartphones across Delhi and the NCR three times: at 8.50pm, 10pm and 1.15am. Warnings appeared on mobile phones, accompanied by a loud notification sound.
As alerts continued on phones, many residents took to social media to share their opinions, especially regarding the warning that was sent out just after 1 a.m. on Friday.
One user on X wrote: “How do I stop my phone from beeping for wind and rain emergency alerts. I’ve had two alerts since evening, and it hasn’t rained yet.”
Most users complained about the loud noises, saying they “may cause anxiety” during the night.
One user wrote on Reddit that it “gave me a heart attack” when the warning arrived early in the morning. “Worst thing I was about to fall asleep,” the user added.
“While safety is important, setting off a loud alarm in the middle of the night can seriously disturb sleeping people and may trigger anxiety or knee-jerk reactions in some,” one X user posted.
“More people will die from this alert than from the actual storm,” one netizen wrote.
Another said: “Who are these rednecks, who disturb our sleep just to tell us that wind and rain are coming, and that too in the middle of the night?”
Another user wrote: “Emergency alerts cause more panic than real storms. Stop this threat. Save these alert systems for real threats, not some silly weather change. In the middle of the night, phones start ringing loudly.”
One user posted on Reddit: “Automated messages about the weather and stuff, why are we getting them around 1am?”
Another user wrote on X: “This alert is very annoying. It should only be used in rare cases such as air strikes.”
Red alert in Delhi
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi during the early hours of Friday. However, the orange warning generally remains in place, and residents are advised to exercise caution due to severe weather conditions.
According to the Meteorological Office, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong surface winds with speeds ranging between 70 and 80 kilometers per hour, with speeds reaching 90 kilometers per hour, are expected.
It is also expected that rain will fall in most areas, and it will be moderate in isolated places. The winds are also likely to cause dust in several parts of the city.
