NEW DELHI: Heavy rain lashed the national capital on Tuesday, triggering traffic snarls, flooding underpasses and leaving thousands of commuters stranded on key stretches.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded Delhi to an orange alert — a “be prepared” advisory — warning of moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of up to 40 kmph. The downpour arrived less than a week after the southwest monsoon officially withdrew from the city on September 24, the earliest withdrawal since 2002. In 2024, the monsoon had withdrawn on October 2.
Traffic snarled across the city. A 25-minute pile-up developed on the Radisson Hotel flyover on NH-48 towards Gurugram, while vehicles crawled near Tikona Park by Jamia Millia Islamia. Gridlock was reported at Netaji Subhash Place, parts of the Outer Ring Road, and stretches of Mahatma Gandhi Road and Captain Gaur Marg in Lajpat Nagar.
The Public Works Department said about 20 calls was logged at the flood control room, reporting waterlogging at spots including Raja Garden Chowk, Shahdara, Wazirabad Bridge, and A-Block Hari Nagar. Waterlogging was also reported at the Zakhira underpass and Block C9 in Yamuna Vihar, prompting the traffic police to issue diversions around Inderlok Chowk and redirect vehicles towards Chaudhary Nahar Singh Marg and KD Chowk.
AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP government of corruption in drain desilting and mismanagement of monsoon preparedness, alleging that even Ramlila venues in CM Rekha Gupta’s Shalimar Bagh constituency were flooded. He further claimed the government evaded court-ordered third-party audits despite awarding contracts worth crores of rupees.
The India Meteorological Department linked the heavy rain to a well-marked low-pressure area over the Gulf of Kutch, with two troughs extending into UP and northwest Rajasthan. These systems drew moisture from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, creating conditions for sudden, widespread showers over north India and the capital.
The showers brought relief after days of unusually high September temperatures. Delhi had recorded a maximum of 37.5°C on Monday and 38.1°C on Sunday. On Tuesday, the maximum dropped to 34.2°C with a minimum of 28.7°C — about 5.4°C above normal. Relative humidity stood at 74%. The Central Pollution Control Board recorded an air quality index of 114 at 7 pm, placing it in the “moderate” category.