Earlier sun shone brightly during the morning hours, but a little after 2.30 PM it gave way to darkness. Drivers turned on vehicle headlights and people began running for cover from the thunderstorm.
The squall and thunderstorm were followed by rains affecting vehicular movement in major intersections and delayed the departure of many people who were planning to get home early to celebrate Dussehra.
The MeT department attributed the sudden rains and thunderstorm to the western disturbance and said the development was on expected lines.
"This was due to western disturbance and we had forecast the development. There will be rains. This development is not sudden," a MeT department official said.
The Weather office forecast says the western disturbance as an upper air cyclonic circulation over eastern parts of Jammu and Kashmir has moved away northeastwards.