NEW DELHI: A spell of record-breaking rain and thunderstorms late Saturday night triggered widespread disruption across the national capital. The overnight downpour led to waterlogging, power outages, impacted flight operations and claimed a life in neighbouring Ghaziabad.
The PWD said it received around 40 complaints of waterlogging from various parts of the city, including Sarai Kale Khan bus stand, Timarpur main market, Peeragarhi Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Greater Kailash-2, ITO, and underpasses at Dhaula Kuan, Palam, Azadpur, Minto Road, and Zakhira.
Power supply was hit in large parts of North and North-West Delhi. Discoms reported outages in many areas.
Sub-inspector Virendra Mishra of Ghaziabad Police died after the roof of the ACP office in Ankur Vihar collapsed amid heavy rain and strong winds. Mishra, who served as a reader to the ACP, had been sleeping inside the office when the roof caved in, said ACP Ajay Kumar Singh.
The heavy downpour, along with strong winds, severely impacted flight operations at Delhi Airport. As many as 49 flights were diverted between 11.30 pm (Saturday) and 4 am on Sunday, while over 200 cancellations were reported.
Heavy rain damaged the newly designed membrane shade at the airport’s Terminal 1, which was installed after a fatal incident last year. The DIAL said that a sudden downpour led to temporary waterlogging in and around the airport. However, it said no structural compromise or impact to other parts of the terminal was reported due to the membrane’s damage.
...meanwhile, brings May chill to capital
Delhi has recorded its highest-ever May rainfall, logging 186.4 mm of precipitation till May 25 this year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The previous record of 165 mm set in May 2008 was surpassed after the city received 81.4 mm of rain early Sunday.
This year’s total rain far exceeds other notable figures for the month, including 144.8 mm in 2021, 129.3 mm in 2002, and 111 mm in 2023. The deluge is remarkable considering Delhi’s long-term average rainfall for May is just 30.7 mm, highlighting the unusual intensity of this month’s weather events.
The capital also witnessed a sharp dip in temperatures on Sunday, as heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the city, accompanied by gusty winds reaching up to 85 kmph. Both maximum and minimum temperatures plummeted by 6–8oC in the past 24 hours, settling at 31.6oC and 19.8oC, respectively, marking a significant departure of 8.6oC and 6.9oC from the normal levels.
The sudden weather activity brought relief from scorching heat, with rainfall amounts peaking at 81.4 mm at Safdarjung and notable showers at other stations such as Palam (68.5 mm) and Rajghat (75.5 mm).