NEW DELHI: A sudden spell of intense rainfall lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) around 6 pm on Wednesday, bringing the evening rush to a standstill. The downpour led to widespread waterlogging and traffic gridlocks and prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert at about 8 pm.
According to the met department, the weather system is moving eastward and is expected to cause moderate rainfall across much of the region, with isolated areas likely to experience heavy showers over the next couple of hours.
The sudden burst of rain raised concerns about localised flooding, particularly in low-lying areas and underpasses that are prone to water accumulation. ITO, Mayur Vihar Phase I and II, Noida, GRG Road, and Ghaziabad were among the areas that witnessed waterlogging, further causing massive traffic jams. The Delhi-Noida route via Akshardham saw bumper-to-bumper traffic for approximately two hours.
The IMD also warned of reduced visibility and slippery road conditions, which could increase the risk of accidents and lead to traffic delays.
No rainfall was recorded at Safdarjung, the city’s base observatory, till 5:30 pm. The day’s maximum temperature at Safdarjung was 35.6 degrees Celsius, a degree below normal, while the minimum was 26.4 degrees Celsius — about 1.5 degrees below the usual for this time of year. Other stations across the capital and NCR recorded similar trends, with moderate cloud cover and little to no rainfall during the day.
The IMD attributes the current weather to a monsoon trough running through northern and eastern parts of the country and cyclonic circulations over Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. South-westerly winds have shifted to north-westerly, blowing at 6–19 kmph across the capital.
The forecast for Thursday predicts generally cloudy skies, with light to moderate rain expected across Delhi and the NCR, and chances of heavy rainfall in isolated pockets.
Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely. From Friday onward, the intensity of rainfall is expected to reduce, with only very light to light rain anticipated through the weekend and early next week.
Forecast temperatures for the coming days are expected to range between 33–35 degrees Celsius for the maximum and 23–25 degrees Celsius for the minimum, staying below seasonal norms.
All eleven districts of Delhi and adjoining cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gurgaon are likely to see similar weather patterns, with rain chances continuing through July 15.
Operations at IGI hit, six domestic flights diverted
The heavy downpour forced the diversion of six domestic flights bound for Indira Gandhi International Airport to neighbouring airports. “Four of the flight diversions were to Jaipur airport, while two were to Lucknow airport,” said an airport spokesperson. According to a flight radar website, flights diverted to Jaipur included an Air India flight from Bhuj (AI814), an IndiGo flight (6E 5072) from Aurangabad, and two Akasa flights—QP 1407 from Hyderabad and QP 1629 from Goa. AI 2910 from Mumbai and AI 2834 from Chennai were diverted to Lucknow.