NEW DELHI: Heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday, bringing relief from the heat while causing waterlogging, traffic congestion and disruption across the region.
The India Meteorological Department initially issued a yellow alert for Delhi, while orange alerts were sounded for Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram as weather conditions intensified. Later in the day, the weather department upgraded the warning to a red alert after dark clouds, strong winds and heavy rainfall swept across the national capital and neighbouring cities.
Several areas, including ITO and Mayur Vihar, reported waterlogging after the downpour. Traffic congestion was witnessed in Saket and many other stretches during peak evening hours, leading to delays for commuters and office-goers. Students and residents returning home also faced longer travel times due to flooded roads and slow-moving traffic.
Strong winds caused damage to public infrastructure in some localities. In Dwarka Sector 21, a streetlight was seen leaning dangerously after the storm, raising safety concerns among residents and motorists. Many people reportedly halted their vehicles temporarily until conditions improved.
According to IMD data, Ayanagar recorded the sharpest fall in temperature at 19 degrees Celsius after the rain. Mayur Vihar registered a drop of 14.9 degrees Celsius, while Pushp Vihar, Sports Complex, Mungeshpur and Pitampura also witnessed significant declines in temperature.
Rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm was highest in Ayanagar at 27.8 mm, followed by Mayur Vihar at 23 mm and the Ridge at 19 mm. Palam recorded the highest wind speed at 65 kmph. The weather department said thunderstorm activity and scattered rainfall are likely to continue in Delhi-NCR for the next two days, and the region remains under a yellow alert till June 6.
Weather conditions in neighbouring states also remained intense. Hot daytime conditions prevailed in most parts of Haryana and Punjab before isolated evening showers brought some relief across the states.
Meanwhile, isolated parts of eastern and western Rajasthan witnessed light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunder and dust storms during the past 24 hours, according to the meteorological department.