At least 15 flights were diverted at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday as heavy rainfall battered the city, causing traffic jams and waterlogging in several areas.
Many parts of the city appeared gloomy during the day as rain continued to lash the city, brought on by the impact of a western disturbance. The downpour led to waterlogging, bringing traffic across the city to a standstill.
According to Indian Express, out of the 15 flights diverted due to rain, 8 went to Jaipur, 5 to Lucknow and 2 to Chandigarh.
At Palam Airport, visibility fell from 6,000 metres at 1.30 pm to 1,200 metres by 5 pm.
Delhiites took to the social media platform X to flag the situation and appeal for immediate intervention from traffic authorities.
"There is a huge traffic jam on the Dwarka Expressway from Bamnoli and Chhawla. Kindly take immediate action," a netizen wrote while tagging the Delhi Traffic Police.
Another commuter complained of "heavy and unprecedented traffic jam at the traffic light near Sadar Metro station on Dwarka Road," urging officials from Delhi Cantt to do the needful.
"In East Delhi, residents reported severe waterlogging and slow movement of vehicles in Patparganj. Massive traffic jam in Patparganj due to severe waterlogging near Retreat Apartment," a person wrote on X.
According to traffic police officials, movement was hit in several stretches due to persistent rain and accumulation of water in low-lying areas.
Long queues of vehicles were reported from Arya Samaj Road in Patparganj, Bara Tooti Chowk in Sadar Bazar, Old Rohtak Road, Shadipur Metro Station, and many more stretches.
Congestion also affected commuters heading towards the airport, with heavy traffic reported from Connaught Place to Dhaula Kuan.
Similar conditions prevailed on Roshanara Road and up to Azad Market Chowk red light, where vehicles moved bumper to bumper for long durations.
With intermittent showers continuing through the day, traffic police deployed additional personnel at key choke points to regulate movement.
Commuters, meanwhile, continued to share visuals and updates of the city's rain-induced gridlock online, urging authorities to improve drainage and manage traffic more effectively.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted cloudy skies on Wednesday and placed the city under the green zone, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected around 31 degree celsius and 20 degree celsius, respectively.
On Tuesday, the city was under yellow and orange weather alerts.
Till 5.30 pm, the Palam weather station recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall, while Ridge recorded 37 mm.
The city's primary weather station at Safdarjung recorded 5.8 mm of rainfall, according to IMD data.
The change in weather also caused a sharp dip in temperatures.
The city's maximum temperature settled at 29.8 degree Celsius, 4.4 notches below normal. A sharp drop from Sunday's high of 36 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature today was 21 degree celsius, 1.3 notches below normal.
The air quality was recorded in the "satisfactory" category at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 73, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe."
