New Delhi: A hailstorm battered parts of the national capital this evening, bringing traffic to a standstill at many places, as the frozen pieces of ice hit windshields and motorcyclists. Flight-tracking websites show several passenger planes circling over Indira Gandhi International Airport, waiting for the bad weather to clear, which would likely delay flight timings.

"Raindrops and thunderstorms in Delhi may impact our flight operations. Please keep enough travel time in hand to avoid any hassle. Keep a check on your flight status. For any assistance, DM us on Twitter/Facebook," IndiGo tweeted.

The bright evening sky amid the intense heat wave, which has been keeping the city on a boil for the past few days, suddenly darkened around 4:30 pm as the thunderstorm accompanied by hail started.

Visuals posted by Delhi residents on Twitter show cars shaking on the roads, pushed by the high wind speed.

Hemant Rajaura, a journalist, tweeted a photo of a car damaged in the rain.

The weather officer earlier today had forecast a thunderstorm with light- to moderate-intensity rain and gusty winds with speed up to 50 kmph.

The weather office also forecast rain in parts of Gurgaon, neighbouring Delhi.

CommentsToday's storm comes exactly a week after another big storm hit the national capital, uprooting trees and affecting flight operations.