CHENNAI: Flight operations at the city airport were disrupted on Saturday morning after strong winds and sudden adverse weather conditions affected the runway area, impacting at least 10 flight services.

On Saturday afternoon, severe gusty winds and poor weather conditions developed suddenly over Meenambakkam and the surrounding areas, leading to disruptions in both arriving and departing flights.

An ATR flight arriving from Hyderabad with 82 passengers was unable to land in Chennai, and was diverted to Tirupati Airport as a precautionary measure. Similarly, international flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi were unable to land in Chennai and were forced to circle in the air for an extended period before safely landing after the weather improved.

Several departing flights from Chennai to destinations including Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Kuala Lumpur were also delayed by around 30 minutes. Authorities said the sudden spell of rough weather caused temporary operational difficulties.