NEW DELHI: Heavy rain accompanied by cloudy skies lashed several parts of the capital and NCR on Monday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a spell of rain till August 16.
After a brief break in monsoon activity, showers were reported from areas including Kartavya Path and Feroze Shah Road. On Monday, Mayur Vihar recorded the highest rainfall at 37 mm, followed by Mungeshpur at 21 mm. Other areas did not receive much rainfall with Pusa recording 4 mm and Narayana at 3 mm till 4.15 pm, as per the IMD data. All the 11 districts were placed under a red warning for the day.
The residents were advised to remain cautious, particularly during periods of intense rain and thunderstorms. For Tuesday, the IMD has issued a yellow alert, forecasting generally cloudy skies with moderate rain.
The capital recorded 230.5 mm of rainfall in the first 10 days of August till 8.30 am, followed by another 4 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Monday, taking the total rainfall to 234.5 mm. At Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station, 4 mm of rain was recorded between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm. Lodhi Road and the Ridge recorded 4.8 mm and 6.8 mm of rainfall, respectively, during the period. Meanwhile, Palam received trace rainfall, while no rain was recorded at Ayanagar.
The maximum temperature at Safdarjung was 35.4 degrees Celsius, 1.2 degrees above normal. Palam recorded a maximum of 34.2 degrees, Lodhi Road 34.6 degrees, the Ridge 34.4 degrees and Ayanagar 34 degrees. The minimum temperature in the city was 27.6 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees above normal.
The rain caused traffic bottlenecks on many busy roads in the city, especially the ones connecting it to NCR towns.The worst-affectedwas vehichular movement on the Delhi-Ghaziabad road, with a blockade near the Delhi-Meerut Expressway around Patparganj.
Traffic was also slow near the Savitri flyover towards Chirag Delhi, while a gathering at a Kanwar camp near Shri Shiv Hanuman Mandir in Sector 2, Rohini, added to congestion in the area.
Continuous rainfall led to severe waterlogging in Chhatarpur Farm, Mehram Nagar near Terminal 1, Sangam Vihar and Kapashera border, disrupting traffic movement. The showers also lashed across Noida and Ghaziabad, disrupting traffic and making commuting difficult. Water accumulated on several major roads, including the DND, Minto Road, Ring Road and Mahatma Gandhi Marg.
Strong winds accompanied the rain through the afternoon, bringing some relief from the prevailing heat. The NCR is likely to receive more spells of rain on Tuesday, according to the weather department.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) west zone team undertook desilting of drains across all 25 wards in the zone. The sanitation teams carried out on-ground cleaning and desilting to improve drainage and help prevent waterlogging during rains. Keeping the monsoon preparedness in focus, the MCD deputy commissioner of the outer north zone inspected a potential waterlogging point at Tikri Khurd village.
The capital also recorded its 10th consecutive day of ‘satisfactory’ air quality index (AQI), according to the weather department.
IMD forecasts another spell today
The IMD has forecast rain till August 16 in Delhi-NCR. “Lightning or thunderstorms with gusty winds (around 60 kmph) and heavy rain can be expected in the next few hours in isolated areas,” the IMD said. The NCR is likely to receive more spells of rain on Tuesday, according to the weather department.
Gridlocked areas
The rain caused traffic bottlenecks on many busy roads in the city, especially the ones connecting it to NCR towns .The worst-hit
was vehichular movement on the Delhi-Ghaziabad road, with a blockade near Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Patparganj. Waterlogging was reported in Chhatarpur Farm, Mehram Nagar near Terminal 1, Sangam Vihar and Kapashera border, disrupting movement.