Persistent downpour sets new records, catches Delhi unawares on weekend

NEW DELHI: A sudden hint of winter unsettled the national capital as persistent rains for two days set new records and caught Delhiites unawares. The India Meteorological Department data showed Delhi received 74 mm of rainfall in 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the second highest precipitation on a day in October since 2007.

The weather bureau said the spell of rain brought down the difference between minimum temperature (20.8 degrees C) on Friday and maximum temperature (23.4 degrees C) on Saturday to 2.6 degrees Celsius -- the lowest since 1969. Earlier, the lowest such margin was recorded on October 19, 1998, at 3.1 degrees C, the IMD said. The weather is likely to get better over the next two-three days.

The downpour also brought down the mercury, with the city recording a minimum temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius, a degree below normal, while the maximum temperature dropped 10 notches to settle at 24.1 degrees Celsius. For many, it was a rude redux of several previous spells of rain that bring with them water-logging and traffic snarls.

Water logging was reported from Peera Garhi to Mangol Puri on Outer Ring Road, GTK Depot and Pandav Nagar underpass near Mayur Vihar. The heavy rain that pounded the city on Saturday also damaged roads at Patel Chowk, Maharani Bagh, Rohtak Road and Najafgarh Road.

However, the Air Quality Index in Delhi was at a ‘good’ level of 19 for PM10 and 11 for PM2.5, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research. The current rains in Delhi are not monsoon showers, which had receded on September 29 after giving 516.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 653.6 mm, the IMD said.

Schools shut in Noida, Ghaziabad
Several districts of UP, including Noida and Ghaziabad, have declared a holiday for all schools on Monday following heavy rains. Authorities in Agra, Lucknow, Meerut and Aligarh have also ordered closure of schools