Traffic out of gear as heavy rains pound Delhi-NCR
NEW DELHI: Commuters faced a hard time as rain lashed the national capital and its adjoining areas, causing severe water logging in several parts of the city, paralysing the normal life.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the city and predicted that rain would continue to lash the national capital in the coming days.
Weather officials said Delhi has so far received an annual rainfall of 1,005.7mm, the highest since 2021 when it recorded 1,526.8mm of rain. The all-time high was 1534.5mm in 1933.
The Safdarjung meteorological station, which is representative of Delhi’s weather, recorded 25.8mm of rainfall between 8.30 pm on Thursday and 5:30 am on Friday. The total rain recorded at Safdarjung this month until 5:30 am on Friday was 123.6mm—slightly above the long-period monthly average for the month or 123.4mm.
A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer told this newspaper that multiple calls about traffic congestion and waterlogging as well as potholes were received at the traffic control room.
Traffic police personnel, wearing raincoats and gumboots were out at various intersections regulating the traffic even as the rains lashed the city.
Multiple traffic advisories were issued by the police advising commuters to avoid certain stretches. The traffic remained affected on Ring Road, Vandematram Marg and NH-48 under Dhaula Kuan flyover, GTK Road, Anuvrat Marg, Ring Road in the carriageway from Majnu ka Tila towards ISBT Kashmere Gate among several other spots.
The weather agency has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain during the day, with the maximum temperature likely to reach 30 degrees Celsius.