NEW DELHI: A spell of heavy rain brought the city to a crawl on Tuesday morning, with flooded streets, knee-deep flooding in busy markets and long traffic jams disrupting daily life.
Continuous rain in the morning had inundated several parts of the city including Connaught Place, Janpath, Lutyens’ Delhi, Bharat Mandapam Road, Barakhamba Road, Mathura Road near ITO, Kalindi Kunj and other low-lying areas.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the evening warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning throughout the day across the capital. Tuesday marked the rainiest day of the year so far and the coldest July day in three years.
The MCD said its central control room received 36 complaints between 2 pm and 6 pm, including 20 reports of waterlogging and 16 complaints of fallen trees. The PWD received around 60 complaints of waterlogging, most of which officials said, were resolved within an hour.
The NDMC said it received 38 rain-related complaints, including 19 cases of waterlogging. The worst affected area were Gole Market, Shahjahan Road, Krishna Menon Marg, Golf Links, Janpath, Connaught Place, Lodhi Colony, Sarojini Nagar, South Avenue, INA and vicinity.
According to the IMD, Pusa recorded the highest rainfall between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm, receiving 80 mm. Janakpuri followed with 72 mm, while Lodi Road recorded 63.4 mm. In contrast, Jafarpur recorded just 8 mm of rainfall during the three-hour period, while Najafgarh reported no rainfall.
The minimum temperature at the city’s base station, Safdarjung, settled at 25.5 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees below the seasonal normal.
The weather department has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday and forecast a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 33 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively.
‘Showers’ on social media
PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh took to X and shared a video showing smooth traffic movement on Minto Bridge that would otherwise be submerged. He said, “Rain is pouring relentlessly, but life on Minto Bridge is moving along at the same pace.” AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also posted a clip from Sadar Bazar where schoolchildren waded through flooded streets.
NDMC areas go under water
The MCD said its central control room received 36 complaints between 2 pm and 6 pm, including 20 reports of waterlogging and 16 complaints of fallen trees. The PWD received around 60 complaints of waterlogging, most of which officials said, were resolved within an hour. The NDMC said it received 38 rain-related complaints, including 19 cases of waterlogging.