NEW DELHI: Heavy rains lashed several parts of the capital on Sunday afternoon, resulting in waterlogged streets and traffic congestion in multiple areas, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast cloudy skies and moderate rains in Delhi-NCR on Monday.
Heavy rainfalls were reported in central, south, southwest, and east Delhi, with the IMD saying “Moderate to heavy rainfall, along with thunderstorms and lightning, is highly likely across Delhi and NCR in the next two hours.”
Safdarjung, the city’s primary weather station, recorded 26.3 mm of rain, while Lodhi Road recorded 30.4 mm, Palam 20.4 mm and Mayur Vihar 55.5 mm between 2.30 and 5.30, according to IMD data.
The IMD issued an ‘orange’ alert for Delhi, indicating that residents should be prepared for potentially severe weather conditions that could cause significant disruptions to road and rail transport. The downpour caused significant traffic disruptions, with Delhi Traffic Police reporting issues due to waterlogging in several areas.
Traffic was delayed on Najafgarh Phirni Road due to waterlogging and breakdown of three cluster buses near Chhawla Stand, the police added.
Traffic was also affected on several roads, including MB Road in both directions between Khanpur and Hamdard, due to waterlogging, according to the traffic police. Outer Ring Road is also affected between Chirag Delhi and Nehru Place, under the Savitri Flyover.
A wall of a government-run school in New Ashok Nagar reportedly collapsed amid the deluge, damaging several vehicles.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reported receiving 12 complaints between 6 am and 2 pm at the Central Control Room, with seven related to waterlogging and four concerning fallen trees. A PWD official said they received 40 calls related to waterlogging and three calls about fallen trees.
After enduring an intensely hot summer and a slow start to the monsoon, the Delhi-NCR is now seeing significant rain, particularly over the last few days. In the 24 hours before Saturday 8:30 am, Delhi experienced a 160% surplus rainfall. This recent downpour has effectively erased the monsoon shortfall, pushing the total precipitation since June 1 to 13% above the seasonal average.
