New Delhi: Morning turned to night in the national capital yesterday as a sudden storm took residents by surprise.

What had started off as a steady drizzle quickly turned to squally weather and uprooted trees and dust swirls restricted motorists to snail's pace.

"It was scary. When I boarded the Metro from Central Secretariat, it was warm and sunny and there had only been a light drizzle. But when I got off at Delhi University, the weather had taken a complete turn," said Mahi Sharma, a student.

Power disruptions

"Initially I though it must be a power cut since it was so dark. But when I stepped out, I was almost shoved back by the wind. With no rickshaws in sight, I was stranded in the station for a good 20 minutes," she said.

Aruna Mehra, a resident of Safdarjung Enclave in south Delhi, said electricity had been disrupted for 20 minutes in her area.

In nearby Gurgaon, alerts were sent out on the public address systems in high rise condominiums asking people to tightly secure their doors and windows.